The CBS drama "Guiding Light" was created in the late 1930s by Irna Phillips.  Known as the "Queen of Soap Operas" Phillips was the creative force behind several such programs.   The show originally appeared on NBC and originated in Chicago.   A book I have on vintage radio programs, The Big Broadcast  by Frank Buxton and Bill Owen, states that "The Guiding Light" started in 1938.  The program's website, however, says it premiered in January 1937.    According to the Buxton-Owen book, the radio  storyline originally revolved around the the character of Reverend John Rutledge, "a kindly cleric who showed people how to live a good life through patience and understanding." 

"The Guiding Light" moved to television in 1952.