WHUT dropping Sunday Mass

The "three nons" (nonpolitical, nonsectarian, noncommercial) have been creating discussion in the system lately--especially the "nonsectarian" point--since the PBS board sent the Station Services Committee's membership recommendations back out for comment in April. Now The Washington Post is reporting that D.C. pubcaster WHUT has told the Archdiocese of Washington that it is dropping "Mass for Shut-Ins," which has run Sundays since 1996. The Mass has continuously run on some D.C. station for 60 years. "It's kind of a shock to us," said Susan Gibbs, archdiocese spokeswoman. "They've been great partners of ours for a long time. . . . The Mass is a very local programming that provides a community service. You'd think public television would be about engaging the community."