New York Times Mulls Glenn Beck's Future At Fox News Channel

Future Discussed

A column in TODAY's NEW YORK TIMES by DAVID CARR muses on the future of PREMIERE RADIO NETWORK's GLENN BECK at FOX NEWS CHANNEL, suggesting that BECK's declining ratings on television could lead to the host's departure from the network at the end of his contract.

CARR writes that BECK, whose "chronic outrageousness" CARR suggests, makes it "difficult for FOX to hang onto its credibility as a news network," "still has numbers that just about any cable news host would envy and, with about two million viewers a night, outdraws all his competition combined. But the erosion is significant enough that FOX NEWS officials are willing to say —- anonymously, of course; they don’t want to be identified as criticizing the talent -— that they are looking at the end of his contract in DECEMBER and contemplating life without Mr. BECK."  BECK's multi-platform operation, including his radio show, books, and THE BLAZE website, would, CARR adds, allow BECK to "live without FOX NEWS."

FOX NEWS SVP/Development JOEL CHEATWOOD told CARR that thinking BECK is on the wane is "silly" in light of his still-strong ratings and defeat of the competition, and said that BECK and he have discussed keeping the often-apocalyptic television show upbeat, saying, "It is really important that no matter how dire he thinks things are or what horrible direction things may be going from his perspective that the show maintains a sense of hope."

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