Christian IPTV Channel Tests Waters

IPTV is set to get some divine inspiration with the unveiling of The Cloud, a new broadband channel dedicated to Christian programming.

A joint project between Verismo Networks and Good News Holdings, The Cloud is set for a beta-test this fall involving more than 100 Christian groups including Promise Keepers, Mothers of Preschoolers, Extraordinary Women, House-to-House, the American Association of Christian Counselors and Tyndale House Publishers.

When it launches widescale in early 2007, the broadband-TV channel will feature on-demand Christian educational and entertainment programming. The plan is to field the channel worldwide using Verismo software and hardware that can present video on a TV, PC or portable device that is IP-enabled. That system could reach as many as 50 million subscribers within three to five years.

"The thirst for distance learning and quality programming inside the Christian community is enormous,” Good News cofounder Rich Christopher said. “This provides a pipeline for that content into the average home."