A man who was one of the fathers of modern American Christian broadcasting has died at the age of 79.

Paul Crouch teamed with his wife Jan to launch the Trinity Broadcasting Network, now the country’s largest Christian television broadcaster and third largest owner of broadcast TV stations in the United States just ahead of CBS, FOX and NBC.

Crouch began his broadcasting career while a student at Central Bible Institute and Seminary.  He moved to KRSD in Rapid City, South Dakota as a radio announcer, working his way up to station program director and also became manager of KRSD-TV.

He joined the Assemblies of God in 1961 to create their Department of Television and Film Production.  After leaving that position, Crouch served as manager for a variety of California television stations.

In 1973, Crouch formed the Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN) with his wife Jan.  They purchased their first station in 1974.  TBN now is viewed on 70 satellites and over 18,000 TV and cable affiliates.  TBN can be seen on 287 television stations in the United States.  The network’s programming is translated into over eleven languages and seen in 75 countries around the world.

In addition to the main TBN channel, Crouch also developed multiple other sister networks including the children’s channel Smile of a Child; youth network JCTV; The Church Channel and TBN-HD, the network’s first high definition broadcast channel.

He also oversaw the network’s entry into filmmaking.  TBN Films features included the hit The Omega Code and One Night With The King.

Crouch had fallen ill in October while attending a Dallas, Texas event and was hospitalized.  He was transferred to California for treatment related to his degenerative heart condition.  His grandson, Brandon Crouch, told the Associated Press that illness is what claimed Crouch’s life on November 30th.

Pastor Jim Bakker released a statement about Crouch’s death, calling him “truly one of the fathers of Christian television.”