Glenn Beck is the new rush- except he's a "sober asshole"

We can relate with Radio Beat columnist Bill Virgin- news is pretty slow around Seattle radio land at the moment. Everyone's on vacation, nobody's getting fired or arrested. No big programming changes- all that'll happen in September/October, when the deadwood traditionally gets culled.

That's probably why he did the puff piece on the regrettable Glenn Beck, raised locally and is, as Virgin says, "nearly ubiquitous in the media world."

The conservative Beck, 42, is the host of his own show on CNN Headline News, and is syndicated on the radio by Clear Channel in some 200 markets like Aberdeen and Pasco, but not in Seattle, although he's been trying for years to wiggle in here. Virgin:

When he left the region at age 18, having graduated from high school in Bellingham, "I just wanted to get really good and come home," he says. Coming home, at least in radio terms, hasn't happened yet. "We are always interested and pitching in Seattle. It's the only market that has rejected me since the day I left it."

If you ask him, or his Clear Channel handlers, Beck is the next Rush Limbaugh. But to insiders, he's the next Rusty Humphries.

Beck's juice is really Gatorade- it looks like a refreshing treat, but it tastes like Scotch tape.

He's gotten where he's got, according to our sources, because he "is connected at the hip to Gabe Hobbs [Clear Channel Senior VP for News/Talk Programming]. His show has been going nowhere for a long time. There's a reason nobody ever picked him up in Seattle; because the show stinks, says our guy."

Another radio pro tells us: "The only reason he is on the air period, is because of the BIG WIG connection" [There are] no Clear Channel talkers in Seattle, hence, no Beck in Seattle."

(A big media company can decide they like you; buy you into a market, promote the hell out of you, and give you an advantage few newcomers have. Sean Hannity in Seattle is a good example. When he was starting out in syndication a few years ago, ABC Radio bought his way into KVI, who threw the inconveniently scheduled Medved in front of the bus, causing the Cultural Crusader to leave the local  market until Entercom created KTTH. Sean Hannity, btw, is sucking ratings well below Medved's).

Last year WGST in Atlanta dropped Beck, and now WLAC in Nashville is moving someone into his early time slot in October. It's not clear whether Beck will be dropped, or moved to the wee hours. What makes this significant is both WLAC and WGST are owned by Clear Channel.

Is his corporate grip beginning to loosen due to failing numbers?

CC recently made a big deal when Beck picked up KXME, an LA station!, they shouted. Turns out it's really in Anaheim. And except for Beck- it's in Spanish and Spanglish! Wonder how his new audience will react to his quaint views on immigration?

Beck, who is a converted to Mormonism, makes on-air schtick out of his recovery from alcoholism. We're reminded of a saying in Alcoholics Anonymous, "Sober up an asshole- don't be surprised if you get a sober asshole." 

His Christian love must have been down on the ranch with the President last year when he referred to survivors of Hurricane Katrina who remained in New Orleans as "scum-bags." According to Media Matters, he attacked victims of the disaster in general and the families of victims of the September 11 attacks, saying: "I didn't think I could hate victims faster than the 9-11 victims."

MSNBC's Countdown host Keith Olbermann honored him with third place in his "Worst Person in the World" award segment for comparing The New York Times' report on a Treasury Department program designed to track terrorists' international financial transactions to condoning the genocide committed by the Nazis during the Holocaust.

It's this sort of mocking, shock-value political incorrectness that his "sober asshole" branding comes from. We, for one, hope he continues to fail in his pathetic attempts to get into Seattle.

We've already got our quota of right-wing jerks hogging the 'waves.

Comments

[Chris]

Funny to see the mention of Beck.
I've only felt the need to speak my mind twice to CNN. My first letter was in regards to the sappy Aaron Brown, who we all know got canned. Hopefully, that hideous Beck will meet the same end. Question is, how long will it take and where will he implant himself next. But what I didn't know is he's a local boy. Oh dear.

[sig]

Beck is a jerk- but wouldn't he be an improvement over Dori Monson? At least he doesn't have to shave his back, and pretend he's fair.

[umo]

Glenn Beck has no political or moral convictions. He is the type who can easily argue either side of any issue with equal dexterity...with a constant jackass grin plastered to his face.

[sparky]

umo, I agree with you.

why does the Right pride themselves on being mean? it's amazing.

Beck is a Mormon??? I know lots of Mormons and they would take a very dim view of how he speaks of people.....its a lot more than just not drinking caffeine...

[Liz]

Isn't Glenn Beck followed up by Nancy Grace just enough to make you want to gouge your eyes out with a spoon?

[joanie]

I loved Aaron Brown even though I didn't get to watch him much. Just really like his style.

I guess Beck puts the lie to the notion that the market determines what it gets? Wasn't someone arguing that a while back, Janet?

[joanie]

Sparky, the right thinks the left are mean, nasty namecallers . . . then they bring up Mike Webb . . . 'cause he's the only one they can think of. (lol)

Let's see . . who else is mean . . . Reagan? No, Ross? No, Franken? No, Hartmann, Rhodes, Bubba? No. Flanders? No. Olberman? Don't think so. . . Malloy - yeah, he's a namecaller.

Gosh, must be somebody else out there . . . C'mon you guys, must be one or two more on the left that are nasty namecallers . . .

[sig]

Mormons are living prooof that the Indians fucked the Buffalo

[Dana]

Oh please, Sig; if you're going to be bigoted, at least be original.

[Fremont]

I, too, liked Aaron Brown's smarm...there must be something in the Sockeye salmon that spawned these local losers. Bellingham Beck is an embarrassment!

[Fremont]

Bla'M, is the HSA (or M.K. Webb) monitioring your posts? Is that why the robot is functioning so slowly?

[sparky]

I like Aaron Brown...I liked his smirk that to me said " I know this news is all crap.."

[joanie]

Ah, Fremont, I hope you're not implying that Aaron is a local loser? He did mighty well for himself. But, in this conformist and pseudo-macho, big-headed time, CNN had to compete by replacing him with conformist, pseudo-macho, big-headed Anderson Cooper. Aaron became just a tad too real for them.

Aaron was reflective and thoughtful. Not a popular commodity in this day of "shoot-first" politics and thinking.

[Seabass]

You can hear Beck twice a day in the Spokane area. Not just Pasco. By the way, ratings wise, even without Seattle, 3rd in the Country. Funny you mention Medved, what's he rated? Like 20th?

[Fremont]

Yes, Joans, Brown is a job-loser, not a life loser. What do you think is next for him? Maybe he could be the new Bill Moyers (not that Bill Moyers, our hero, could ever be replaced....)

[sparky]

If he came back to Seattle, I would actually watch local news again. Maybe

Aaron should write a book and then become a news analyst or columnist like Joel Connelly

[joanie]

Aaron should replace Joel Connelly who is getting a little fond of himself, peevish and teeters on irrelevancy. I used to like the guy . . . he's changed.

I'd like to see Aaron do some investigative reporting and perhaps become a documentarian like Hedrick Smith or Mike Kirk. Or else do some NOW-type program. He's got that Moyer quality for sure. He's just so authentic and has so much integrity. . .

[sparky]

agreed.

I used to watch him sometimes on the ABC overnight where he delighted in pissing off Alaskans by always showing the temperature for Cicely alaska, causing clueless Alaskans to email him and angrily stating there WAS no Cicely Alaska!!!!!!!!! And Aaron would just smile slightly...
I love snarky humor..

[Fremont]

Gee, snarky Sparky, who wudda guessed?

[Fremont]

(Hey, Joans, I procured a new Mac powerbook, just so I can do the phantom robot thing...hope it will work with a trackpad.)

[sparky]

Hey..it takes intelligence to understand pure snark....which is why Tom DeLay thought Steven Colbert really is a conservative...

[grhyink]

Does anyone notice that Glenn Beck, Nancy Grace and Judge Judy seem to come from the same mold, which obviously produces loudmouth,judgmental, rude TV show hosts? Apparently TV producers believe that this type personality is entertaining. All the feed back, whether good or bad, obviously shows that we find these things entertaining. What does this say about us?

[sparky]

Good Question. I dont watch any of them, so it doesnt apply, but I guess people like to watch other people yell and scream because they themselves are cowards to do the same in real life.

[Liz]

Glenn Beck doesn't take himself nearly as seriously as Nancy Grace.

I find it hard to believe people will still appear on her show, she is such a shrew.

[Tommy008]

"On my worst day, I'm smarter than you on your best day"!- Judge Judy hectoring and hazing a hapless defendant from the bench on her disgusting show. What's the point of that kind of verbal garbage? Who can respect an educated legal professional belittling basically minimally educated lower middle class or worse-off folk from the bench. Wow what a big shot that makes her. The only person she really demeans and belittles is herself. Arrogant bitch!

[joanie]

I so agree, Tommy. But that is the culture that we've got and it is, in my opinion, the level of discourse that gave us George Bush. I don't know how you fight it.

We are not a very educated nor civil society anymore. Do you think it might have started with Archie Bunker? (Only partly kidding here. . . )

[Hepzibah]

Major disasters do not discriminate - they hit upstanding citizens and scum bags alike; a scum bag does not become an upstanding citizen merely because he was the victim of a disaster.

[scrubs and shines]

Free "I Hate Glenn Beck" animation on my blog….Glenn Beck is mental porn, he should be taken off the airwaves and force fed reality by getting a real job, like driving a taxi or joining the military, serve his country and fight in a war he thinks is important. The rest of us know these wars are bull… He’s entertaining if you like clowns. I hate clowns personally! But as a journalist he’s not.

[sporto59]

There is a hilarious website called " Maddox Mission ".....he dedicates a page to Glenn Beck in his archives. It's worth checking out.

[PugetSound]

glenn beck nearly died in the hospital this week. he talks about it here

BeckTalks

[sparky]

Hmm
Interesting video. I will not pretend that i like Glen Beck at all, but Im sorry it took a near-death experience for him to see what the rest of us have been talking about regarding health care, and compassion.

I will leave it at that until I hear what he has to say on Monday. I dont have any illusions that he will suddenly demand quality health care for all, nor do i believe his sudden yearning for compassion will lead him to change his views on things where he has shown little compassion himself. But I am glad he at least for a moment had to stop and do some hard thinking.

And as much as I dislike him, i would never wish for him to die in surgery.

[Kensington007]

You are all terribly mis-informed. Learn the truth @ GLENNBECK.COM!!!!!!!!

[Kevin]

so this is extremely out of date... but i just love it how people take his reference to Katrina survivors as scumbags completely out of context. I love how people actually thing he literally called the survivors scum bags... not that he BLATNETLY said he was referring to the ones that were looting for no apparent reason (aka looting stuff like electronics not food or something that they need to survive) or the people who were shooting at cops and the fact that he actually said he was referring o the small .02%that are scum bags... but no one seems to include that part of the monolouge... gotta love taking shit outta context