India, Sept. 25 -- Archbishop Fulton Sheen revolutionised religious broadcasting during American television's nascent era, wielding a chalkboard and dynamic rhetorical technique to deliver moral and theological instruction to audiences exceeding those of competing entertainment programmes.

Beginning in 1952 on the DuMont Television Network, his programme "Life Is Worth Living" aired Tuesday evenings at 8 pm, remarkably holding its own against entertainment juggernaut Milton Berle, whose "Texaco Star Theater" occupied the identical time slot.

The programme's format eschewed elaborate production values, featuring Sheen in ecclesiastical vestments standing before an audience whilst discussing contemporary moral issues, theological concepts...