In his musical show discover yourself, Marlène Goulard, alias “First name Marlène”, recounts her relationship with God with poetry, humor and playfulness. In the same spirit, without musical accompaniment or electric violin solo, the tonic thirty-something will offer every Friday at 9:30 p.m. “Good news! “. A sparkling and original program of three and a half minutes, obeying the codes of videographers on social networks, on his daily spiritual experience.
“Back to school is a real joy, enthuses Philippine de Saint Pierre, the general manager of KTO. In this pastille of poetry, humor and good humor, Marlène says real things about the questions that arise for all Christians. We were very seduced by his universe, his freshness, his respect for questions of faith. His proposal is not intended to provoke or make people uncomfortable. She has a look full of tenderness and humor on herself, and we all recognize ourselves in it a little. »
Ten years after the “Cathologue”
In the “pilot episode” watched, the radiant Marlène received a call from God, but she has to brave the noises of modernity and extract herself from the race of time to be attentive to it and appreciate this “unlimited, free and unconditional subscription” binding her to the Lord. The artist juggles with jackhammers, noise-canceling headphones or mobile phones to end up with a Bible in his arms and read an excerpt from chapter 17 of the Gospel according to Saint John…
“It’s been almost a decade since we’ve produced anything new that’s truly offbeat, confides the boss of the Catholic channel. And it’s difficult to make humor on spiritual issues, because you can quickly hurt feelings. We tried it with the series of Cathologue which made us laugh and worked well, even if there are always people who don’t like it. »
Improve your biblical culture
In another short program, Bible scholar Marie-Noëlle Thabut, who already collaborates on the air through commentaries on the Gospel and readings on Sundays, will offer “Biblical Chronicles” every Monday at 9:30 p.m. “There is a difficulty in mastering the fundamentals of biblical culture, notes Philippine of Saint Peter. We may have lost certain codes, certain elements of understanding, and there is a real desire to reclaim this heritage. If only to better understand in depth the psalms, these 150 magnificent prayers. »
Another novelty, KTO will offer once a month, on Sundays at 9:30 p.m., a “communion of prayer from the abbey of Keur Moussa in Senegal” to share “the beauty of the liturgy” of these Benedictine monks. “We’ve had the desire for a long time to have a prayer meeting with Africa where KTO is very much watched, emphasizes its director. We will start in October after resolving power grid stability and transmission issues. Teams have started to install cameras in the church, and the learning AI of the company Syng@te will ensure the remote realization. It is a very light system which does not disturb the daily practice of the monks and remains compatible with our finances. »
New look, new logo
Finances remain a sensitive subject for the Catholic channel broadcast in 88 countries and living on 91% of donations. And those who had shown themselves to be the most generous when there were tax exemption systems with the solidarity tax on wealth did not return. Supported by its followers during the health crisis, KTO, which employs 75 employees (including 12 work-study students), totaled 11.7 million euros in revenue in 2021, and made 1.6 million euros in profits, which made it possible to fund a reserve requested by the Court of Auditors.
Catholic media reflect on their practices in a turbulent world
The chain took the opportunity to modernize its logo, the yellow bar disappearing in favor of a more modern writing in more intense blue with a “T” which stands out in the shape of a cross. But the most important thing was to renew its visual identification on the air and the famous “jingle” facilitating the transition between programs, which had not changed since 2008 and was deemed “terribly outdated”. “It is a great joy and a relief, says Philippine of Saint Peter, to propose a new look that is beautiful, modern and soothing in an often aggressive media world. »