Last night’s victory for Rob Astorino in the race for Westchester County Executive is a loss for the Catholic Channel on SIRIUS and XM Satellite Radio.

Astorino has served as program director since the channel kicked off in December 2006, with its programming run by the Archdiocese of New York.

He’s been on leave since Labor Day while campaigning and will briefly return to the channel to wrap things up before beginning his new job.

Since the start, the Catholic Channel has aimed to be entertaining and educational, a modern alternative to EWTN.

“We tell the hosts: ‘Don’t talk shop,’” Astorino told me when I profiled the Channel in 2007. ”’Don’t assume people know what you’re talking about on the faith. Educate and re-educate.’”

In his role with the Catholic Channel, Astorino has had a rare level of access to the leaders of the Catholic Church.

He hosted a weekly show with Cardinal Egan and then Archbishop Dolan. He also traveled the country to interview bishops, archbishops and cardinals (since the Channel is national).

He even got to interview Pope Benedict XVI when the pontiff was in New York.

Astorino told me at the time: “I think he realized the importance of this trip, that people are getting to know him on a personal level. The throngs on Fifth Avenue and at the seminary were so vibrant, it was amazing. When I met him, he was very gentle, very happy.”

Now Astorino gets to try using his communication skills in a very different capacity.

In a completely unrelated Catholic Channel note…When I profiled the channel, I focused on a Westchester couple—Dave and Susan Konig—who hosted a very funny show on the Channel. Dave is a comedian and Susan a writer, and their show was smart and energetic.

At some point, maybe late last year, I read that the Konigs had decided to do other things and were leaving the Channel.

I was a tad surprised, but didn’t think anything of it.

But I recently got a mass email from Dave Konig promoting a show he’s doing. It said: “Jewboy or: How I Converted from Judaism to Catholicism and Back to Judaism AND Lost Those Stubborn Last 10 Pounds!”

Then I checked out the comedy club where he was performing and found this description of his show: “Three-time Emmy Award winning comedian Dave Konig goes fom being a Hebrew School dropout to a national spokesman for the Catholic Church and back again, with celebrity appearances by Marisa Tomei, Richard Simmons, and the entire Seacaucas Fire Department along the way.”

So I guess I now know why the Konigs left the Catholic Channel.

TWO UPDATES:

1. Dave Konig let me know that he and Susan did not leave the Catholic Channel because he left the Catholic faith. “Leaving the Catholic Channel precipitated my (reconversion) back to Judaism, not the other way around!” he writes.

2. I should have noted that Susan Konig just ran for a seat on the Westchester County Board of Legislators, but came up a bit short.

3. Archbishop Dolan is now offering congratulations to Astorino on his blog:

*****

Rob has served the Catholic Channel well, and I’ve very much enjoyed working with him.  A few years ago, he came to Milwaukee to interview me for The Catholic Channel, and back in February, on the day my appointment to New York was announced, Rob interviewed me and Cardinal Egan.  In April, we began our weekly program, Conversation with the Archbishop which I have immensely enjoyed.

Just a few weeks ago, Rob and his lovely wife, Sheila had their third child, a beautiful young girl named Ashlin who joins big brother Sean and big sister Kiley.  My prayers and best wishes are with Rob as he undertakes his new responsibilities as a father and County Executive.