Surprise! Even the Roman Catholic Church is feeling the pinch. For the first time ever,
80-year-old Vatican Radio is airing commercials in order to stay in action.
Italian energy company Enel—the first to broadcast advertisements on Vatican Radio—will have a summer trial that can potentially earn “tens of thousands of euros,” says Rev. Frederico Lombardi, head of the radio station. This kind of money is needed to support the station’s 500 employees and to pay each year’s cost of $27 million.
Rev. Lombardi states that after “broadcasting the pope's message around the world, Vatican Radio is to break with tradition and take paid commercials for the first time.”
So now, instead of hearing only
religious messages, you’ll be able to listen to “ideologically” sound ads with
jingles and the likes. Advertisements will be monitored by an Italian communications firm. [via NYPost and The Ledger].
