Glenn Beck
Glenn Beck has been a conservative radio talk show host since 2001. He hosted the Glenn Beck show on CNN Headline News, before moving over to the more conservative Fox news channel. After his departure from Fox in 2011, he began broadcasting with his Mercury Radio Arts, the parent company of his television and radio network, TheBlaze. His Glenn Beck Radio Program is syndicated nationally on Premiere Radio Networks.
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Personal History and Work in Radio
Beck was born in Everett, Washington on February 10, 1964. He started in radio at the age of thirteen, when he won a local radio contest to be a DJ for an hour. Between the ages of thirteen and fourteen, he worked for a country music station, a Christian music station, and a rock station. By the age of eighteen, he had his own morning show. Despite his early success, he suffered from alcoholism and drug addiction, and by age thirty was facing divorce. In late 1994 he joined Alcoholics Anonymous and worked to achieve sobriety. In 1999 he remarried and began a search for faith, investigating churches and philosophies along with his family. He worked in Washington, Salt Lake City, and Florida. While working in Salt Lake he worked for Latter-day Saint employers. He converted to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 2000. He has openly and poignantly shared his conversion story. (See external links.)
The Glenn Beck Program first aired in 2000 in Florida. He took over for a fired radio personality, and his talk show went from 18th to 1st place in the ratings within a year. His show was the third highest rated talk show among adults aged 25 - 54. Beck interviewed guests and talked about issues of the day while including humorous anecdotes. On occasion, he mentioned the Church and its leaders as well. His television show dealt mainly with human interest stories and special guests. Premiere Radio Networks launched his show nationwide. As of July 2013, Beck was tied for number four in the ratings behind Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, and Dave Ramsey.
Beck has two daughters from first marriage, the eldest with cerebral palsy. He relocated his radio program to Philadelphia from Florida in order to live close by her. He has adopted children with his second wife, Tania. His show is heard through many markets throughout the United States. He also has written books about America as well.
Beck publishes a conservative political magazine called Fusion Magazine. He changed the name in 2012 to TheBlaze and ceased publication in April 2015.
In 2009 Beck launched his "Common Sense Comedy Tour." NCM Fathom and Mercury Radio Arts presented an encore showing of Glenn Beck's Common Sense Tour, live from the Midland Theatre in Kansas City. The performance was recorded on June 4, 2009. The one-night event showed in selected theaters on June 11, 2009. The performance examined common sense, which according to Beck, is no longer common:
- "Glenn spares no one, including politicians and celebrities, as he takes a look at the state of our culture and the frightening lack of common sense, especially in Washington. Explore the comedy behind the chaos that has become America. Hear the tales and revisit the wisdom that our grandfathers and forefathers relied on to build America."
During the summer of 2010, Beck announced in Salt Lake City that his eyesight is failing. He had been diagnosed with "macular dystrophy."
On August 28, 2010, Beck staged a huge rally, titled "Restoring Honor," on the Mall in Washington, D.C. as a call to support American troops, return honor to American government and life, and return God to the head of the equation. The rally drew around 300,000 participants and was meant to be apolitical -- attendees were asked to leave political signs and banners at home. For a report on the perception of Glenn Beck and the success of the rally, click here.
Before the rally, Beck held a conference with leaders of Christian religions, asking for their support. You can read about it here.
The most polite crowd in history? [1]
Glenn Beck: Mormon Conservative Says He Is on a Mission from God
Glenn Beck, Mormons, and the Religious Right
In May of 2011, Beck announced another rally to be held that summer, this time in Israel, called "Restoring Courage," meant to rally people of all faiths in support of Israel. [2] Beck was received warmly in Israel in July 2011, and received several rounds of applause when he addressed the "Knesset," the Israeli parliament. The rally was scheduled to take place in August. [3]
Also in May of 2011 the website TVNewser announced that Beck will launch his own web-based TV channel, GBTV. Beck hired away his FOX News producer, Joel Cheatwood, and that started the rumor that he was set to purchase a cable station or launch a webTV channel. The byline of the channel will be "The Truth Lives Here." [4]
Dream Labs
At the beginning of 2013, Beck's income had grown hugely. Forbes estimated Beck made $80 million from mid-2011 to mid-2012 — more than the previous two years combined. [5] Beck launched TheBlazeTV, and is expanding Mercury Radio Inc., which he owns. In January 2013 he announced that he would develop three American Dream Labs — one each in Dallas, Australia and Utah. The Dream Labs will be his innovation centers for the realizing of projects that think outside usual paradigms, ranging from farming to storytelling to health care.
The "Man in the Moon project is one of these. Beck is concerned with the style and content of American Independence Day celebrations and shows. Pyrotechnics and rock stars have their value, but Beck sees a whole different array of more meaningful content. The first production backed by Dream labs will be an original stage production set to debut July 6 at Salt Lake City’s USANA Amphitheater. "This is the story of America, told in a fable sort of way, by the ‘Man in the Moon’ … who has been watching man since the beginning of time (and) is telling the story of America through a much longer scope and lens,” said Beck. Pyrotechnics will only be used to accentuate moments in America's history.
The maiden performance on July 6, 2013, will cap three days of events associated with Glenn Beck’s “brand,” including a service project and a rally sponsored by the conservative PAC FreedomWorks. The performance will be filmed and released as a movie. The production will highlight American inventiveness and perseverance. If it is successful, it will launch in multiple cities in the U.S.
Ben McPherson, an artist and filmmaker with Utah roots, is the man responsible for molding both the “Man in the Moon” production and the physical American Dream Labs workspace to reflect Beck’s artistic vision. He has created the Dream Lab in Lehi, Utah, as a combination of video gaming and formal decor. Creative juices begin to flow the second one enters the lab. Beck claims he hires really good people, and Ben is one of them. [6]
Radio and TV Programs
- Click here for Glenn Beck's radio, 9 a.m.-noon ET.
- Click here for Glenn Beck's podcasts.
- Glenn Beck's departure from Fox News
Books by Glenn Beck
- The Immortal Nicholas (2015)
- The Overton Window (2010)
- Common Sense: The Case Against an Out of Control Government (2009; Inspired by Thomas Paine)
- The Christmas Sweater (2008; the story was adapted into a picture book in 2009)
- An Inconvenient Book - Real Solutions to the World’s Biggest Problems (2007)
- The Snow Angel (2006)
- The Real America - Messages from the Heart and Heartland (2003)
"The Overton Window," "An Inconvenient Book" and "The Christmas Sweater" have all hit No. 1 on the New York Times best-seller list in their respective categories. He is one of the few authors to have #1 bestsellers in the fiction, nonfiction, self-help, and children’s picture book genres.
- Glenn Beck describes his conversion to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
- Glenn Beck pays tribute to Prophet Gordon B. Hinckley:
