WPBN-TV: CCMCommunications, "The Word: Alive and Well"

CCMCommunications

AN OVERVIEW, "The Word: Alive and Well"

Shot in the Jesus Christ Prince of Peace Chapel in Haledon, NJ, "The Word: Alive and Well" is a Roman Catholic faith-based half-hour talk show produced by staff, interns and volunteers from CCMCommunications, the Jesus Christ Prince of Peace chapel and Campus Ministry community, William Paterson University, and from Passaic County. The show has been in production at the William Paterson Communication Department's Television Studios since 1992, and is now produced weekly at the CCMCommunications Television Operations Center on site at the Jesus Christ: Prince of Peace Chapel. The show is currently syndicated on over 45 networks from New York to California, Louisiana to Toronto, and is also available on the your computer via webstreaming at http://www.ccmcommunications.com.

Watch and Learn

The New Evangelization
This is truly an overview show. Sit down with Father Lou Scurti and Rusty Myers, producer, and talk about not only the hsitory of the show, but the 'history behind the history'. We look at where 'the Word' has been and where it's going.

The half hour talk show revolves around a homily delivered by the shows host, Father Lou Scurti, as well as the discussion with the guest of that particular episode. Guests on the show have been the Bishop of the Diocese of Paterson, the President of William Paterson University, as well as people from national organizations such as Life Teen, Catholic Charities, Habitat for Humanity, and the Catholic Extension Society. Other guests have included people from the University and Chapel Community, as well as from Northern New Jersey and throughout the country. One of our frequent guests, Sheriff Jerry Speziale of Passaic County, most recently served as a guest on FOX News Channel's number-one hit talk show, "The O'Reilly Factor". Now, with the implementation of even newer technology, we can incorporate phoner guests into shows, interviewing guests from across the country, thousands of miles away.

The Word: Alive and Well
Recently, CCMCommunications won the prestiious MarCom awards for the website and for the show, Saints in Art. Producer Rusty Myers takes a few minutes to talk with Father Lou about the show and the awards.

Brought to Perfection
Take a journey into the history of the Word - about 7 years back. Meet former Word director Laura O'Neil, who worked on the show from 1994-1999

Themes of the show are based on the gospel, and a homily corresponding to that reading in the liturgical year. Each show, though, has a topic related to the guest, based on his or her faith-journey, Vocation, or job. These topics come from across the calendar � from Advent, to Christmas, to Lent, Easter, and the Ordinary. From those themes, which are explained in Father Scurti�s homily, we take the concept one step further and show how the Word is active and expressed in the life and work of our guest. Aside from the normal liturgical calendar, we use events at the Chapel � of which include baptisms, confirmations, the annual Blue Mass, Saints� Triduum, and weddings.

�The Word: Alive and Well� also produces a few series, including the �Living the Word Series� and the �Liturgy of the Word Series�, both of which will be explained in detail later. Others include the �Celebrating Faith through Music Series�, the Vocations Series, the �Church Abroad Series�, and a series on Catholic Charities. One of our most successful series of shows has been the Universality Series, based on the Campus Ministry series of the same name. These events, which awarded Catholic Campus Ministry the honor of being one of seven programs nationally recognized by the Catholic Campus Ministry Association of America, have included Model Seder Mass, Asian Mass, Eastern European Night, Italian Night, Irish Mass, Latino Night, and St. Anthony's Novena.

�The Word: Alive and Well� also produces specials � fun shows which break the normal format to bring our viewer something out-of-the-ordinary. Recently we produced a show which was about the newly opened National Museum of Catholic Art and History. Through a special relationship we have developed with the curator of the Museum, CCMCommunications was granted a special tour of the facility before it was open to the public. Another special produced in the past capitalized on the art background of Father Scurti, where he actually brought out his canvas and paints and painted on the show.

As host Father Scurti likes to say, the show conveys the concept of Catholicism with a big "C" and a small "c". The "Big C" standing for Catholicism, and the "Small c" representing how "the Word" is universal ... applicable to people of every race, culture, and creed. That�s what "The Word: Alive and Well" has as its main goal, which has led to its appeal amongst various audiences ... spreading "the Word" of Christ to not only young Catholic adults, but everyone. The message of �The Word: Alive and Well� reaches, via cable access, a wide cross section of viewers of various religions, ethnic heritages, occupations, and experiences. Although the message has never changed, the scope and demographics of the audience reached as well as the quality in which that message is conveyed have changed drastically since the first production in 1992, due to the growth of the production, which most recently can be attributed to the construction of the CCMCommunications Television Operations Center.

In Spring 2003, CCMCommunications, along with Campus Ministry, secured monies from the Diocese of Paterson and the State of New Jersey to build the brand new CCMCommunications Television Operations Center. Through both the Diocese of Paterson's "Prepare the Way" program, as well as a grant from the New Jersey Office of Faith Based Initiatives, Campus Ministry was able to construct the facility, which serves as the hub for in-house and diocesan television production. From this new television center, CCMCommunications can implement a production schedule and training program of its own; with benefits of this new facility being seen in the number of shows originating from the CCMCommunications Television Operations Center. Shooting 3 live to tape shows a week, and for longer production semesters, we now can provide not only a better product to our affiliates but support more of them.

You can look at a timeline of the history of "The Word.
You can also check out the past few years of guests.

Website winner
of a 2005 MarCom Award for website design

Outstanding Cable Program, 2005 Gold MarCom Award

Copyright 2006, CCMCommunications-TV, RC Diocese of Paterson
Website built and Edited by Russell "Rusty" Myers III, Executive Producer. Email Comments Here.