I’ll admit it: I find Glenn Beck fascinating. Plenty of people hate him, of course. But I don’t know of anyone else in the media with a stronger, more intense relationship to his or her fans. His appeal, for his fans, reaches far beyond politics. It taps into something deeply cultural. When he left Fox News, I wondered if he didn’t have bigger, grander plans.
If you think, because he isn’t on cable TV, that he is somehow worse off than he was: you’re wrong. As this NPR story explains, his audience is smaller (though by no means small), but his paycheck is considerably bigger. (Also, his sets are nicer and his detractors are much quieter.) He is forming a veritable empire right here in North Texas that already is much more expansive than a lot of people realize. (And he’s coming back to TV.) In short, despite what you think of his politics, Glenn Beck might actually be a business genius.
(And if you’re wondering…yes, I have reached out to him and asked for an interview. And no, nobody from his camp has responded.)
