Sheen and Maier: Broadcasting Theology

Two of the most popular radio programs between 1930 and 1950 were The Catholic Hour, featuring (then) Fr. Fulton J. Sheen, and The Lutheran Hour, featuring Pr. Walter A. Maier. Some 15 million listeners tuned in every week to hear a sermon from this Catholic priest and this Lutheran pastor. (By way of comparison, today, with our much larger population, Fox News has 1.7 million viewers.) Both The Catholic Hour and The Lutheran Hour had a bigger audience than did Jack Benny, Bob Hope, Charlie McCarthy, or Frank Sinatra.