That familiar voice on Immaculate Heart Radio’s “The Bishop’s Hour” may now literally be heard around the world.

Bob Dunning, who has hosted the weekly talk show on Sacramento radio station KSMH-AM 1620 for the past eight years, is now taking on a live radio program on a new Catholic satellite radio channel.

“Across the Nation with Bob Dunning” made its debut on Sirius Satellite Radio on Dec. 4 during its regular Monday through Friday time slot from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Pacific time.

“The program will clearly be news driven, addressing issues of the day with participation from listeners a key element,” said Dunning, who is known for his informed, animated conversations with guests on “The Bishop’s Hour,” which is aired on seven Immaculate Heart Radio stations in California and one in Reno, Nev.

“This is a fabulous opportunity to reach an international audience,” he said.

Dunning’s new satellite radio program is a collaborative project of Sirius Satellite Radio and the Archdiocese of New York.

The joint venture launched the Catholic Channel which features contemporary talk, music programming and live daily Masses from St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York.

Dunning, formerly a KFBK-AM radio talk show host and longtime columnist for The Davis Enterprise newspaper, was informed of the new satellite Catholic radio programming by Bishop William K. Weigand.

Notification about the establishment of the national Catholic Channel had been sent by letter in April from New York Cardinal Edward Egan to bishops across the country..

“Bishop Weigand shares a common mission with the Archdiocese of New York to get a national Catholic talk show going,” Dunning said.

After discussing “The Bishop’s Hour” format with Sirius and the Archdiocese of New York and sending them a tape with segments from the program, “Across the Nation with Bob Dunning” was given the green light.

“It was the kind of show they wanted, and a show I wanted to do,” he said.

To avoid a time conflict with the satellite radio channel, “The Bishop’s Hour,” which Dunning describes as “a labor of love,” moved from its previous time slot at 11 a.m. Monday through Friday to 9 a.m. on Dec. 4.

It will continue to be aired from the Diocesan Pastoral Center in Sacramento.

Dunning told The Herald just days before the start of the new satellite program that he wished he was already on air.

“Pope Benedict XVI’s trip to Turkey would be a lively debate,” said Dunning, who plans to encourage divergent views on issues of the day, including the war in Iraq, stem-cell research and the death penalty.

A former sports columnist, Dunning also intends to interview University of Notre Dame sports personalities in conjunction with the Catholic Channel’s coverage of Notre Dame football and basketball games.

“A lot of moral issues come out of sports, and a lot of athletes have inspirational stories to tell,” he said.

All in all, Dunning views his new Sirius Satellite Radio audience, which tends to include a significant percentage of young adult listeners, as “truly a gift from God.”

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