Televangelism

The use of media, notably radio and television, to convey Christianity is known as televangelism (tele- "distance" and "evangelism," meaning "minister"). Official or unofficial, televangelists dedicate a significant amount of their work to television broadcasting. Even while many of the televangelists preach regularly in their own churches (sometimes megachurches), the vast majority of their adherents are those who hear them on the radio or see them on television. Another group doesn't have a traditional congregation, but instead works mostly via television. The word is sometimes used in a mocking way by opponents as a suggestion that ministers like this are trying to bolster their own egos.

The emergence of televised evangelism in the United States was largely due to the deregulation of the media, which allows virtually anyone with the financial means to access television networks and cable TV, as well as the presence of a sizable Christian population willing to contribute to the cause. Evangelical Protestant audiences, whether autonomous or structured around Christian churches, found it particularly appealing. A growing number of Christian-oriented televangelists from the United States are now broadcasting on worldwide networks, thanks to the globalisation of broadcasting.

Religious broadcasting is subject to stricter regulations in certain nations than it is in others. Private interest organisations seldom create religious programming in these nations, and instead rely on commercial television networks to do it.