Glenn Beck

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Glenn Beck
Occupation(s)talk-radio and television host

Glenn Beck (born February 10 1964) is a conservative talk-radio and television host. His radio show, The Glenn Beck Program, is syndicated by over 230 radio stations and on XM Satellite Radio channel 165 talk radio, which airs from 9 AM - 12 PM (ET). The Glenn Beck Program is the 3rd highest-ranked national radio talk show among adults ages 25 to 54, according to Premiere Research/Arbitron.[1] He is sixth for overall listeners with 3.75 million a week.[2]

Beck also hosts an hour-long television show, Glenn Beck on CNN Headline News, launched on May 8 2006. Glenn Beck airs nightly at 7 pm Eastern time, repeating at 9 pm and 12 am.

On January 9 2007, Beck became a contributor to ABC's Good Morning America.[3]

Career

Beck started in radio when he was 13 years old in Seattle, Washington, USA by winning a local radio contest to be a DJ for an hour, and was eventually granted a part-time job. He hosted Christian radio on Saturday, rock on Sunday and country on weeknights. According to Beck, he lost all of these jobs on the same day.

After graduating from high school, Beck pursued his career as a Top 40 DJ. By the time he was in his 20s, Beck was a DJ on WKCI-FM (KC101), a Top 40 radio station in Hamden, Connecticut, hosting the local morning show with Pat Gray. Originally the show was billed as the Glenn and Pat Show. When Gray left the show, Beck continued with co-host Vinnie Penn.

Years later, he began to explore the world of talk radio with a one hour program on KC101's sister station, WELI. Beck then worked at Tampa, Florida's WFLA-AM and launched The Glenn Beck Program during the afternoon drive, filling the slot held by Bob Lassiter after the station's new owners, Clear Channel, fired him. Beck hosted the new radio show, combining politics and comedy. In the first year, The Glenn Beck Program moved from 18th place to the #1 position. Within 18 months, Premiere Radio Networks offered Beck the opportunity to go national. In January 2002, The Glenn Beck Program launched on 47 stations; by September 2006, it had reached 234 stations. With over three million listeners, it was ranked 8th in the nation[4] and 3rd among listeners age 25 - 54. Also in January 2006, CNN Headline News announced that Beck would host an hour long show during prime time; Glenn Beck on Headline News debuted in May 2006.

Personal life

Glenn Beck was raised a Roman Catholic in Mt. Vernon, Washington. His mother committed suicide when he was 13. One of his brothers also committed suicide, and another had a fatal heart attack. [5]

Beck is a self-described reformed alcoholic and drug addict. In the aftermath of those three family tragedies, Beck said he used "Dr. Jack Daniels" to cope. He and his first wife divorced amid his struggle with substance abuse. Beck cites the help of Alcoholics Anonymous in his sobriety, and he eventually converted to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints which teaches against the consumption of alcohol.

Beck believes he has a personal relationship with God. "God stalked me like he had a giant baptismal rifle," Beck said. "I thwarted him. I led people astray as much I could but he kept putting Mormons in my way." [6]

Beck had two teenage daughters, Hannah and Mary, from his first marriage; Mary has cerebral palsy. He has two children, Raphe (adopted in 2004) and Cheyenne (born 2006), with his second wife, Tania.

He is a fan of author Edgar Allan Poe and the television show "24".

Political views

Beck often says "I am a conservative who doesn't happen to be a Republican". On his show, Beck addresses many current political, social, and economic issues.

Political correctness

Beck is a frequent critic of political correctness, especially that which concerns Christmas. For instance, during the Christmas season Beck plays a "politically correct" version of O Holy Night. The lyrics have been changed to remove all reference to religion and gender, and the song is re-titled, O Somewhat Important Night. Beck coined the term RamaHanuKwanzMas,[citation needed] a portmanteau of the religious holidays Ramadan, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and Christmas, as the name of the ultimate politically-correct winter holiday.

Beck has said "political correctness is the classic Great Idea Gone Wrong. All it's done is shut us up. It hasn't changed anybody's mind. It hasn't changed our hearts. It's changed our faces. It's taken every opinion we have, it's taken every joke we have, and it's forced us to conceal it and hide it and bury it. It's made us superficial."[7]

George W. Bush

On May 11, 2006, Beck said the following on his Headline News show, "And that's why I found myself taking a hard look at George W. Bush lately. I`m actually starting to feel a little like John Kerry, flip-flopping on my opinion of him every day, you know. Sometimes I think that the biggest problem with G.W. is that he just might be the worst communicating president since Buchanan."[8]

Beck has recently said that he is "through with" George W. Bush and is no longer willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. He questions the Bush administration on certain issues, including border security, also the treatment of Border Patrol Agents and government spending.

Global warming

While Beck has stated that global warming is real, he is skeptical of the scientific opinion on climate change that global warming is largely attributable to human activity, that it may pose a threat to human civilization, and that there is an attainable solution. Beck argues there is an under-reporting of scientific findings that do not support the theory of human-created global warming, also known as global climate change.[9]

On 30 April 2007 on his nationally syndicated radio show, Beck made the following comparison between techniques used to promote the idea of global warming, and those used by Hitler in promoting hatred against Jews in Nazi Germany:

""Al Gore's not going to be rounding up Jews and exterminating them. It is the same tactic, however. The goal is different. The goal is globalization. The goal is global carbon tax. The goal is the United Nations running the world. That is the goal. Back in the 1930s, the goal was get rid of all of the Jews and have one global government. You got to have an enemy to fight. And when you have an enemy to fight, then you can unite the entire world behind you, and you seize power. That was Hitler's plan. His enemy: the Jew. Al Gore's enemy, the U.N.'s enemy: global warming. Then you get the scientists -- eugenics. You get the scientists -- global warming. Then you have to discredit the scientists who say, 'That's not right.' And you must silence all dissenting voices. That's what Hitler did."[10]

On his CNN Headline News program, Beck dedicated an entire show to the topic of global warming. The show, promoted as a mini documentary, was entitled "Exposed: The Climate of Fear".[11]

Montreal Protocol

See also: Montreal Protocol

Glenn Beck says that the Montreal Protocol, an international treaty designed to protect the ozone layer, "...actually cause[s] more greenhouse gases...". The treaty bans the use of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), chemicals that destroy the ozone layer. He uses the treaty as an example to claim that if you take action to fight global warming, "...that you just might end up making [it] worse".[12]

"Let me say that again: the most effective treaty ever signed has done MORE HARM THAN GOOD!", he claims.[12]


While separate from Global Warming, the issue of Ozone Layer depletion was indeed addressed by the Montreal Protocol. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Montreal Protocol, "...has reduced the risk of further ozone depletion. Now, with continued compliance, we expect recovery of the ozone layer by the late 21st century."[13]

Iraq

Beck is in favor of greatly expanding the U.S. military presence in Iraq. On his April 24, 2007 Headline News show he said, "Either you think that we should have never gone there in the first place and we should get out immediately, or you're like me and you think we should finally start fighting this with everything we`ve got."[14]

He went on to say, "If we withdraw from Iraq right now, it will be our country's biggest moral scar since the Civil War." He explained one reason some Democrats were trying to add a timetable to withdraw from Iraq was to "throw a bone to some of your anti-war base and say, "Hey, look, we were just -- we're just like you, you know, liberal hippy communists. We tried, but the president is a big, bad man and he won't let us.". He said, "It is immoral for us to do what we're doing right now, to abandon these people and let them get slaughtered after we started it. If we did that now, this would be America's most shameful act of immorality since slavery."[14]

Other issues

Beck has often proclaimed himself pro-life, including being opposed to euthanasia and capital punishment. His position on stem cell research is indecisive. He admits his daughter's cerebral palsy affects his viewpoint, "It's easy to say, Well, it would help my daughter. Having to look my daughter in the eye and say, This might repair you. And then say, I have to say no, because I don't think it's right to do it. I'm not sure that it's wrong to do it. I'm just not sure it's right."[15]

He does not approve of torture, but does approve of tough interrogation methods as a means of exploiting terrorist information in certain circumstances. He is critical of the entertainment industry, and is opposed to anti-smoking regulations. He describes himself as pro-business and against raising the minimum wage. Beck supports the 2nd Amendment, and is against new anti-gun legislation. During the summer of 2006, he began to repeatedly refer to the War on Terror as the Third World War.

Glenn Beck Program

Main article: Glenn Beck Program

The Glenn Beck Program began in 2000 airing on WFLA (AM) in Tampa, Florida, and took the afternoon time slot from 18th place to #1 within a year.[16] In January 2002, syndicator Premiere Radio Networks launched the show nation wide on 47 stations. The show was then moved to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where it picked up new flagship station WPHT-AM. In the spring of 2006, Beck relocated his studios to Radio City Music Hall in New York City in preparation for his new TV show with CNN Headline News.

Beck's show is often compared to talk radio programs of hosts like Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, and Michael Savage. Beck's show contains less discussion about politics, and more social commentary and humor. Beck frequently says that he hates politics, and claims that his show contains "half the politics and twice the comedy" and "is not about left and right, it's about right and wrong".

The program can be heard live on weekdays from 9:00am-12:00pm EST (with a "best of" weekend edition on some affiliates).

Glenn Beck on Headline News

Main article: Glenn Beck (TV program)

Glenn Beck on Headline News airs nightly at 7:00 p.m., repeating at 9:00 p.m. and 12:00 a.m. (All times Eastern.)

His show is an hour-long show on CNN Headline News that premiered May 8 2006. The network has described the show as "an unconventional look at the news of the day featuring his often amusing perspective on the top stories from world events and politics to pop culture and everyday hassles."[17] The program is not supposed to be a traditional news program, as Beck has said that he intends it to be a news talk show for people who can't take the news anymore.[18] He also does occasional, special shows where he spends the entire hour interviewing a prominent person or focusing on a special topic.

Criticism

The media watchdog group Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting has criticized CNN president Ken Jautz's description of the newly hired Beck as "cordial" by pointing out statements he made against figures like Michael Berg, Michael Moore, Hurricane Katrina victims, and 9/11 victims. Beck responded that these comments were taken out of context. In another incident, he said he was "surprised that former President Jimmy Carter did not attend Iran's December conference on Holocaust denial."[19]

The self proclaimed progressive group[1] Media Matters for America issued a statement voicing their opinion of "Exposed: The Climate of Fear," Beck's documentary.[20]

Beck has also said of Hillary Clinton: "…there's something about her vocal range. There's something about her voice that just drives me--it's not what she says, it's how she says it. She is like the stereotypical--excuse the expression, but this is the way to--she's the stereotypical bitch, you know what I mean? … I mean, I know this is horrible to say, but I mean it not--I would say this if she were Condi Rice and she sounded like that." When criticized about this statement, Beck clarified by saying, "I never said that Hillary Clinton -- excuse the language -- I never said that Hillary Clinton was a bitch. I said she sounded like one. It has nothing to do with her policies, it has nothing to do with her personality, it has nothing to do with what she's actually saying."

Live events

In March 2003, Beck ran a series of rallies called Glenn Beck's Rally for America in support of troops deployed for the upcoming Iraq war. While generally attended by war supporters, Beck spoke of those who "disagreed with the war, but still supported the troops." He ran the final rally at Marshall University over the Memorial Day weekend. The event drew an estimated 25,000 people.

In subsequent years, Beck has toured American cities twice a year, presenting a one-man stage show. His stage productions are a mix of stand-up comedy and inspirational speaking.[21]

For his annual winter tour, Glenn Beck's Christmas Tour, Beck focuses on a Christmas theme.

In 2005, the summer show Glenn Beck on Ice focused on the need to diminish the role of politics in our lives. The 2006 summer show The Mid-Life Crisis Tour featured life's lessons from the perspective of a middle-aged man.

Each year in January, Beck and Steve Burguiere return to their original home station of 970 WFLA to provide commentary on the yearly Gasparilla Pirate Festival parade.

June 2007, Beck completed his latest tour called An Inconvenient Tour which, despite the name parodying Al Gore's An Inconvenient Truth, had very little to do with global warming or climate change and instead focused on the inconvenient aspects of everyday life.

July 4, 2007, Beck served as host of the 2007 Toyota Tundra Stadium of Fire in Provo, UT. The annual event at LaVell Edwards Stadium on the Brigham Young University campus is presented by America's Freedom Foundation, a nonprofit organization whose mission is "to provide deeply felt emotional experiences that celebrate and promote the traditional American values of family, freedom, God and country." [22]

Book and magazine

Beck has authored The Real America: Messages from the Heart and Heartland (ISBN 0-7434-8633-1). Beck is the founder and editor of a comedy magazine called Fusion, which is a play on The Glenn Beck Program's motto, "The Fusion of Entertainment and Enlightenment." A new book is due out in November of 2007, titled "An Inconvenient Book".

See also

External links

Wikiquote has quotations related to Glenn Beck.

Official websites

References

  1. ^ "Anchors & Reporters, Glenn Beck". www.cnn.com. Retrieved 2006-11-18. {{cite web}}: External link in |publisher= (help)
  2. ^ "The Power That Was," Newsweek Magazine, April 23 2007
  3. ^ Beck Named GMA Contributor, January 9 2007, MediaWeek
  4. ^ "The Top Talk Radio Audiences". Talkers magazine. Retrieved 2006-08-07. {{cite web}}: External link in |publisher= (help)
  5. ^ http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4188/is_20061125/ai_n16876746
  6. ^ Glenn Beck: Mormon conservative says he's on a mission from God, May 11 2007, The Salt Lake Tribune, Retrieved: May 19 2007
  7. ^ Glenn Beck. The Real America: Messages From the Heart and Heartland.
  8. ^ Transcript of Glenn Beck Headline News, 2006-5-11, CNN.com, Retrieved 2007-6-15
  9. ^ "The Real Story: Global Warming". GlennBeck.com. Retrieved 2006-11-17.
  10. ^ http://mediamatters.org/items/200705010003
  11. ^ Official site
  12. ^ a b The Real Story: Global Warming, GlennBeck.com, Updated September 21 2006
  13. ^ Twenty Questions and Answers About the Ozone Layer: 2006 Update, NOAA Earth System Research Laboratory
  14. ^ a b CNN Transcript of Beck TV show, 2007-04-24
  15. ^ Doom at 11, January 9 2007, Radar Online, Retrieved: May 19 2007
  16. ^ "About the Glenn Beck Program". www.glennbeck.com. Retrieved 2006-08-02. {{cite web}}: External link in |publisher= (help)
  17. ^ "Glenn Beck". www.cnn.com. Retrieved 2006-07-30. {{cite web}}: External link in |publisher= (help)
  18. ^ Tom Dorsey (2006-07-20). "Beyond headlines". The Courier-Journal. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  19. ^ CNN's "Cordial" Hire, FAIR, January 18 2006
  20. ^ Exposed: Glenn Beck's Climate of Distortion, Media Matters, May 8 2007
  21. ^ Al Peterson (June 2005). "Not Just Another Conservative" (PDF). radioandrecords.com.
  22. ^ America's Freedom Foundation (Press Release) (June 2007). "Glenn Beck to Host 2007 Toyota Tundra Stadium of Fire". Yahoo! Finance.


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