Vatican Observatory iPhone App to Supply Programming for Sirius/XM Radio and Christian Broadcasting Network TV

The Vatican Observatory Foundation’s iPhone App, Daily Sermonettes with Father Mike Manning, today announced expanded reach with new radio and television programming deals. Father Mike’s Minute will be aired on Sirius/XM Radio’s Catholic Channel and Father Mike’s Thoughts will air on the Christian Broadcasting Television Network. The announcement was made today by Robert Thorne, CEO of The Robert Thorne Company, which manages the global licensing, touring and media program for the Vatican Observatory Foundation in partnership with licensing rightsholder and consultant Gruppo Santony.

The Easter Sunday launch of the Vatican Observatory iPhone App along with the launch this week of the expanded radio and television programming, follows on the Pope’s recent global announcement encouraging all parts of the Vatican to reach people worldwide through new media. Revenue raised by the Foundation through the App helps support the Vatican Observatory’s centuries-old humanitarian mission of scientific education, research and discovery.

"Father Mike's uplifting message will bring App users, Catholic Channel listeners and Christian Broadcasting Network viewers comfort, peace and the joy of God's promise,” said Father George Coyne, emeritus director of the Vatican Observatory.

Thorne added, "The App has such strong appeal it’s now the centerpiece for Vatican Observatory Foundation-supplied programming to both a major satellite radio network and a national television network."

Father Mike’s Minute - The Vatican Observatory Foundation’s new inspirational radio program for the Catholic Channel on Sirius/XM (Nasdaq: SIRI), Father Mike’s Minute, featuring daily audio excerpts of the iPhone App’s Daily Sermonettes with Father Mike Manning, launched this week and airs four times per day, seven days per week. Father Mike’s Minute offers listeners insightful reflections of faith, hope and inspiration with practical application to daily life. Select episodes of the program will highlight major world events such as the Gulf oil spill. The programming agreement for Father Mike’s Minute was brokered by the Catholic Channel’s GM, Joseph Zwilling, and the Foundation’s rep, Greg Redlitz.

Father Mike’s Thoughts - The Vatican Observatory Foundation’s new inspirational television program for Christian Broadcasting Network, Father Mike’s Thoughts, featuring sermonettes and commentary by Father Mike exploring major world events from a Christian perspective, launches next week on CBN’s Newschannel Midday. Although Father Mike’s Thoughts was originally envisioned as a monthly program, the Foundation and CBN are in talks to make this a weekly program in the near future. The programming agreement for Father Mike’s Thoughts was brokered for CBN by CNB Newswatch senior producer Tracy Winborn and Redlitz.

About the App

Daily Sermonettes with Father Mike Manning is delivered daily on camera by Father Mike Manning (best-selling author and recent recipient of Pope Benedict XVI’s award for excellence) is the first-ever iPhone App from any part of the Vatican and comes fully loaded with new daily video sermonettes of reflections inspired by Scripture with practical application to daily life and bonus extras. It includes featured Scripture, insightful commentary, episodes devoted to major world events from a Christian perspective and a forum for questions and answers. The App, developed and distributed by Wizzard Media (NYSE Amex: WZE), the world’s largest web series network, has been ranked in the Top 100 Paid Lifestyle Apps in iTunes (among more than 10,000 such Apps) demonstrating its value, appeal and influence in new media. The App was the centerpiece of a recent Los Angeles Times feature cover story on faith-based Apps, a lead story on Chicago’s ABC7 Evening News, a feature story on Christian Broadcasting Network’s Newschannel Midday and featured placement on hundreds of leading websites. Plans are underway for a celebration of the App featuring Father Mike, the CEO of publicly-traded Wizzard Media and distinguished Catholic priests ringing the Opening Bell at the New York Stock Exchange and on-camera and print interviews with CNBC and leading financial and business newspapers, magazines and websites.

To preview the Vatican Observatory Foundation App, visit dailysermonettes.com. To buy the App, visit dailysermonettes.com or search "daily sermonettes” in the iTunes store.

This Fall, the Vatican Observatory Foundation will add to the App the new Sunday supplement Conversations and Travels with Father Mike, featuring people and places of interest in faith, business, entertainment and sports. This Summer the Vatican Observatory Foundation will launch a companion web series featuring: (i) highlights of Daily Sermonettes with Father Mike Manning App episodes, (ii) select syndicated reruns of App episodes, (iii) behind-the-scenes looks at production of the App and (iv) periodic on-site production in various churches. The web series will be distributed by Wizzard Media, the world's largest web series network.

About the Vatican Observatory and the Vatican Observatory Foundation. The Vatican Observatory traces its roots to the reform of the calendar under Pope Gregory XIII in 1582 with the assistance of Jesuit scientists at the Roman College. After a three centuries long tradition following upon the calendar reform, the Vatican Observatory was founded by Pope Leo XIII to support research in astronomy. Today, the Vatican Observatory continues this important work in scientific research, education and discovery at the intersection of science and religious faith. The Foundation is dedicated to fundraising to support the Vatican Observatory.

About Father Mike Manning. Father Mike Manning is the recipient of the prestigious Papal award Pro Ecclesia Et Pontifice Cross from Pope Benedict XVI, given to "individuals whose contributions rise to a level that deserves recognition by the Universal Church.” Father Mike’s television series The Word in the World is seen weekly on the Trinity Broadcasting Network and The Church Channel and is also broadcast on Catholic TV networks in Boston, Detroit, Rockville Center, Yonkers, Youngstown and Fresno. Father Mike is a best-selling author, and his latest book 15 Faces of God, published by Doubleday, was released in March. Father Mike is a member of the Society of the Divine Word, an international missionary community serving the needs of the poor.

About Wizzard Media - Wizzard Media provides podcast publishers with distribution and monetization services. Clients include Microsoft, National Geographic, Harvard Business Review, Usher, NPR and more than 15,000 others who use Wizzard Media products to measure their podcast audience, deliver popular audio and video entertainment and monetize their content through advertising and App sales. In 2009, the Wizzard Media Network received over 1.4 billion podcast requests from approximately 50 million people worldwide through iPods, iPads, iPhones, iTunes, Zune and many other devices and destinations. Wizzard Media is part of a publicly held, Pittsburgh-based company with thousands of shareholders and a world-class team. Visit Wizzard Media at wizzardsoftware.com/media and email at contact@wizzardsoftware.com.

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