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Glenn Beck
Born	February 10, 1964 (1964-02-10) (age 43)
Occupation	talk-radio and television host

Glenn Beck (born February 10, 1964) is a conservative American talk-show host, author, and entrepreneur. A veteran broadcaster, Beck has been in radio since he was thirteen. His nationally-syndicated radio show, The Glenn Beck Program, airs on over 260 radio stations through Premiere Radio Networks, and his self-titled television show debuted in May 2006 on Headline News.

In addition to his radio and television programs, Beck is the publisher of Fusion Magazine, a comedy magazine from a conservative perspective. He has also written two bestselling books, and he stars in a one-man stage show which tours the US twice a year.

Contents 1 Career 2 Personal life 3 Political views 3.1 Political correctness 3.2 George W. Bush 3.3 Global warming 4 Iraq 4.1 Other issues 5 The Glenn Beck Program 6 Glenn Beck on Headline News 7 Criticism and controversial statements 8 Live events 9 Books and magazine 10 See also 11 References 12 External links 12.1 Official websites

Beck started in radio when he was 13 years old in Seattle, Washington, 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.

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 three-hour program on KC101's brother's 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 right-wing politics and comedy. In the first year, The Glenn Beck Program moved from 14th place to the #2 position. Within 12 months, Premiere Radio Networks offered Beck the opportunity to go national. In January 2003, The Glenn Beck Program launched on 32 stations; by October 2006, it had reached 164 stations. With over three Million listeners, it was ranked 9th in the nation^[1] and 3rd among listeners of ages 25 to 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 despite protests that he always sided with neo-conservatives.

On November 5, 2007, The New York Times reported that Premiere Radio Networks was extending Beck's contract. Two sources with knowledge of the deal said it was valued at $50 million over five years, putting Beck in league with other multi-millionaire radio hosts like Sean Hannity and Rush Limbaugh.^{[citation needed]}

Glenn Beck was raised a Roman Catholic. He was born in Mt. Vernon, Washington, and attended high school in Bellingham. He graduated from Sehome High School in 1982. His mother committed suicide when he was 13. One of his brothers also committed suicide, and another reportedly had a fatal heart attack.^[2]

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" and heavy drugs 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!...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."^[3]

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

Beck often says "I am a conservative who happens to not be a Republican" . On his show, Beck addresses many current political, social, and economic issues using traditional conservative governing principles.

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, 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."^[4]

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."^[5]

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, especially on border security and the treatment of U.S. Border Patrol Agents, and government spending.

While Beck has stated that he believes global warming is real, he is skeptical that global warming is 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.

On 30 April 2007 on his nationally syndicated radio show, Beck made a comparison between global warming supporters and Hitler.

"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."^[6]

Beck also writes: "God bless you, Hollywood, for speaking out. But what you have to understand is that if you find yourself in the minority opinion, it's not because of some vast, right-wing or left-wing conspiracy. It's because you're out of step with everybody else. You're not going to be rounded up in the middle of the night and taken to jail...That doesn't happen in America."

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".^[7]

Beck is in favor of the Iraq War. 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."^[8]

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 hippie 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."^[8]

Beck has often proclaimed himself pro-life, including being opposed to euthanasia and capital punishment. He has not stated a definite position on embryonic stem cell research. 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. And so as we go and take measured steps, I think technology gets ahead of philosophy sometimes. And I'm leery on taking these giant steps before we've really thought it through."^[9]

This section does not cite any references or sources. Please improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unverifiable material may be challenged and removed. (November 2007)

Beck does not approve of torture, but does approve of "tough interrogation methods" as a means of obtaining terrorist information in certain circumstances. He is critical of the entertainment industry, and is opposed to anti-smoking regulations. He describes himself as pro-capitalism and supports a free market.

Beck supports the Second Amendment, and is against gun control legislation.^{[citation needed]}

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.^[10] 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 news than discussion about politics, right-wing commentary and social 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).

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."^[11]

The liberal 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 rioters, and certain 9/11 victims. Beck responded that these comments were taken out of context. ^[12]

Beck has been accused of suggesting that all American Muslims must prove they are not enemies of America on two separate occasions: once to Rep. Keith Ellison and once to activist Sharida McKenzie. "Beck later stated that his comments to Ellison were "poorly worded" and "wish[ed]" he "could take back and rephrase." The following quotation is from the conversation between Beck and McKenzie "McKenzie replied: "Well, maybe open some more lines of communication. Get out there and meet Muslims. And I encourage Muslims to be more open and build bridges instead of barriers, also." Earlier in the segment, Beck had asserted: "[I]f I'm not mistaken, Sharida, last time you were on, it's because you were inspired in part by this program to get out and march against those who are hijacking your own religion." McKenzie responded: "Yes, you were an inspiration to me on that peace march." The peace march McKenzie organized took place in Austin, Texas, so that, she said, "people will know Islam as the peaceful religion that it really is."^[13]

He described activist Cindy Sheehan as a "pretty big prostitute" and a "tragedy pimp". This was in reference to a question that he posed earlier, "Who'll do anything for power or money?".^[14]

He compared Vice President Al Gore to Joseph Goebbels "for Gore's statement, during his testimony before the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, that he would initiate a "mass persuasion campaign" to urge Congress to act on climate change."^[15]

Beck said about Hillary Clinton: "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 bitch – excuse the expression".^[16]

On June 28, 2007, Beck read on his radio program a fake ad created by a group known as the Insiders that recommended turning the bodies of Mexican illegal immigrants into fuel. "Beck introduced the discussion by saying, "Sometimes the Insiders go too far," and later said, "I don't think we need to make the illegal aliens into fuel." Beck also said, "That would be evil conservative, yeah. I don't even know if that's conservative. That would be ... [p]sychotic, perhaps? Sociopathic, perhaps?"^[17]

In 2005, Beck said on his radio program that "I'm thinking about killing Michael Moore, and I'm wondering if I could kill him myself", and wondered about strangling Moore to death, only to conclude that he was "not sure" if he would actually kill Moore.^[18]

On his October 18, 2007 broadcast on CNN, Beck referred to Hillary Clinton as "Stalin in a pantsuit."^[19]

On his radio show on October 22, 2007, referring to wildfires raging Southern California, Beck said "I think there is a handful of people who hate America. Unfortunately for them, a lot of them are losing their homes in a forest fire today."^[20] The comment drew criticism from across the political spectrum. In response, the show's producer, Chris Balfe, told USA Today through a spokesman, "To most rational people, unfortunately still means unfortunately."

Beck called "a small percentage" of people "who decided to stay in New Orleans" "scumbags" and that he hates "probably about 10" of the 3,000 families of 9/11 victims as well. Beck stated " Let me be real honest with you. I don't think anybody on talk radio -- I don't think anybody in their right mind is going to say this out loud -- but I wonder if I'm the only one that feels this way. Yesterday, when I saw the ATM cards being handed out, the $2,000 ATM cards, and they were being handed out at the Astrodome. And they actually had to close the Astrodome and seal it off for a while because there was a near-riot trying to get to these ATM cards. My first thought was, it's not like they're going to run out of the $2,000 ATM cards. You can wait! You know, stand in line. Maybe it's because I'm the kind of guy, when I go to a buffet, I either have to be first in line, or I'm the very last. Because I know there's going to be extra food, and I just won't stand in the line. I'll wait until all the suckers go get their food, and then I'll go get mine. Or if I'm really hungry, I hate to admit this -- and really, I don't even have to be really hungry. If I'm really being a pig, I will kind of, like, hang out around the buffet table before the line is -- you know, chat with people right around the table: "Oh, they just opened the line! Let's go!" And then you're first in line.

When you are rioting for these tickets, or these ATM cards, the second thing that came to mind was -- and this is horrible to say, and I wonder if I'm alone in this -- you know it took me about a year to start hating the 9-11 victims' families? Took me about a year. And I had such compassion for them, and I really wanted to help them, and I was behind, you know, "Let's give them money, let's get this started." All of this stuff. And I really didn't -- of the 3,000 victims' families, I don't hate all of them. Probably about 10 of them. And when I see a 9-11 victim family on television, or whatever, I'm just like, "Oh shut up!" I'm so sick of them because they're always complaining. And we did our best for them. And, again, it's only about 10.

But the second thought I had when I saw these people and they had to shut down the Astrodome and lock it down, I thought: I didn't think I could hate victims faster than the 9-11 victims. These guys -- you know it's really sad. We're not hearing anything about Mississippi. We're not hearing anything about Alabama. We're hearing about the victims in New Orleans. This is a 90,000-square-mile disaster site, New Orleans is 181 square miles. A hundred and -- 0.2 percent of the disaster area is New Orleans! And that's all we're hearing about, are the people in New Orleans. Those are the only ones we're seeing on television are the scumbags -- and again, it's not all the people in New Orleans. Most of the people in New Orleans got out! It's just a small percentage of those who were left in New Orleans, or who decided to stay in New Orleans, and they're getting all the attention. It's exactly like the 9-11 victims' families. There's about 10 of them that are spoiling it for everybody."^[21][22]

On his December 17, 2007 appearance on Good Morning America, Glenn Beck confused the names "Obama" and "Osama" when referring to Barack Obama, catching himself with a joke about the presidential candidate needing to "change his name." Later in the show, he praised Obama for his truthfulness and ability to learn from mistakes when discussing his past drug use.

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.^{[citation needed]}

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.^[23]

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."^[24]

Beck has written two books. His latest, An Inconvenient Book, was released on November 20, 2007 and rose to #1 on the New York Times Bestsellers List. According to Glenn Beck's Radio Program the same day, after the ninth printing, Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble, Overstock.com, etc. had all sold out by Monday, December 3rd, 2007. Also according to the Monday, 03 December, 2007 edition of the Glenn Beck Program (radio show), due to incredible demand, a special printing was ordered to keep up with demand until the paper it was printed on was made available again to the publisher, and the special paper was of a different shape and higher quality than the paper used for the first nine printings, resulting in an unintentional "limited edition," which was scheduled to become available on December 12th, 2007.

Glenn Beck has also authored The Real America: Messages from the Heart and Heartland (ISBN 0-7434-8633-1).

Beck is also 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."

As political commentary, Glenn Beck refers to conflated holiday celebrations such as:

• Ramahannukwanzmas
• Chrismukkah
• Chrismahanukwanzakah
• Festivus

• CNN transcript of Glen Beck - Dina Sansing
• Video Interview of Beck during his Inconvenient Tour - Salena Zito

• Glenn Beck — official website
• Glenn Beck — CNN
• List of radio stations streaming Glenn Beck Radio Show
• Beck's RamaHanuKwanzMas page

Persondata
NAME	Beck, Glenn
ALTERNATIVE NAMES
SHORT DESCRIPTION	talk-radio and television host
DATE OF BIRTH	1964-02-10
PLACE OF BIRTH
DATE OF DEATH
PLACE OF DEATH