March 11, 2013: A picture of St. Peter's Basilica on the eve of the conclave at the Vatican. Catholic cardinals had a final day of jockeying for position the day day before shutting themselves into the Sistine Chapel to elect a new pope after Benedict XVI's resignation. Photo by Gabriel Bouys, AFP/Getty Images.
NEW YORK -- White smoke or black? Maybe it's easier just to wait for a text message that a new pope has been elected.
A Catholic organization has set up a website that lets people register to receive an electronic notification when a pope has been selected. It's been such a hit that popealarm.com had to stop taking new customers on Monday.
American television network stars are in place for the start of the conclave in Vatican City on Tuesday.
All will wait for the traditional signal that a new pope has been selected: white smoke from the burned ballots of voting cardinals wafting from a Sistine Chapel chimney.
The ABC and CBS evening newscasts each broadcast from Rome on Monday.
By DAVID BAUDER
AP Television Writer
The Associated Press