Luigi Bardelli has been chosen as the new president of CERC, the European Consortium of Christian radio stations. He was elected on 15 November at the 9th colloquium of CERC, held in Malta this year. Bardelli currently heads “Corallo”, the Italian radio and television association to which 264 broadcasting stations belong. CERC’s members include broadcasters in 15 European nations, some of which are at the top of the audience ratings in their respective countries, such as the Portuguese Radio Renascenca and the Spanish Radio Cope. Also elected to the new board of directors, as vice-directors, were Josè Luis Restan Martinez of Radio Cope (Spain), Antonio Correa d’Oliveria of Radio Renascenca (Portugal), and Martin Olig of Radio Proglas (Czech Republic). CERC’s new general secretary is Emmanuel Jousse of Rcf (France). Nicholas Cachia of Rtk (Malta) has also been voted onto the board. During the colloquium, the issue of the contribution of Christian radio stations to the construction of the European identity was discussed; particular attention was devoted to the relation with the ethnic and cultural minorities introduced into Europe as a result of recent migratory influxes from the southern hemisphere. This question was also addressed by Msgr. Pierfranco Pastore, secretary of the Pontifical Council for social communications, who suggested some basic rules of conduct to radio stations: informing without “bombarding”; teaching without theorizing; integrating without denying differences; seeking the truth. CERC’s next plenary assembly will be held at Banka Bistrica in Slovakia in October 2003.
