Step 1 : Introduction to the question "Which soap opera holds the record for the longest-running scripted program in broadcasting history?"
Guiding Light is listed in Guinness World Records as the longest-running scripted program in broadcasting history. The show has been on radio and television for 72 years, beginning on NBC radio in 1937 and moving to CBS television in 1952. Procter and Gamble owned the show, which spawned the name "soap operas" because of the soap company's sponsorship. On April 1, 2009, CBS announced that it canceled Guiding Light after a run of 72 years due to low ratings. The series broadcast its final episode on the network which aired on September 18, 2009 — after 18,262 episodes.