Fox officially announced on Wednesday that Glenn Beck decided to “transition off” his show on the TV network. The show’s ratings have dropped significantly over the past few weeks. However, it remained to be the third-most popular news on cable TV.
Fox said they will continue to work with Beck and Mercury Radio Arts – the host’s production company. They have programs both on television and on the internet, lined up for Beck.
However, many critics see this move as a blow to Beck as he was “crowned” just months ago as Fox’s crown jewel and a very important personality in US politics.
The show, broadcasting in the very challenging 5pm time slot, has about two million viewers; way more than all its competitors. However, it has lost an average 30 per cent of its viewers in the last 12 months.
Moreover, Beck was criticized for allegedly rising personal attacks on billionaire George Soros. Beck has also been mocked for his very apocalyptic analyses of basically everything that goes on around the world. Just February of this year, William Kristol, high-profile commentator, dismissed the host’s warnings that the uprising in Middle East will cause an Islamic caliphate. Kristol viewed it as hysteria on Beck’s end and said that it is not healthy.
Fox news is also feeling the financial pains of advertisers pulling off from Beck’s program after he accused President Barack Obama of racism. Media Matters of America, a group that is against Beck’s commentaries, said that there are about 300 firms that refuse to advertise with Beck’s shows.
On Wednesday, Glenn Beck announced the news after paying tribute to Fox News and its president.