Thought-provoking commentary???????

Glenn Beck joins Fox News

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) – Talk show host Glenn Beck is leaving CNN Headline News for a multiyear deal with Fox News.
Beginning next spring, Beck will host the channel's 5 p.m. weekday program as well as a weekend show.
Beck hosts a self-titled talk show on CNN Headline News that has enjoyed strong ratings growth airing in the 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. time slots.
He also hosts a nationally syndicated daily radio show, "The Glenn Beck Program."
"As we embark on a new political landscape, Glenn's thought-provoking commentary will complement an already stellar lineup of stars at Fox News," said Roger Ailes, chairman and CEO of Fox News.
At 5 p.m., Beck will succeed "America's Election HQ," the election-themed program that was put on air after the cancellation of "The Big Story."
Reuters/Hollywood Reporter

Consolidating the Assholes would be a great title for a greatest hits collection

or maybe a reunion tour

This seems like a step down to me. 5pm versus 7 and 9?

I wouldn't call Beck an asshole. He's annoying at times, but at least he's lucid. The funny thing is, though, I always thought he was already on Fox news. haha

he's ALWAYS annoying. He's somehow MORE condescendingly prickish than Hannity.
I loath him.

It's hard to know but I've always felt like Beck was at least a little sincere in what he says. As compared to O'Reilly, Coulter, etc. But all notions of honesty will probably be washed away by the move to Fox, where he'll end up being just another Hannity.

Beck makes logic connections that don't hold up, ascribes motivations that aren't accurate, yammers on about a "True America" that never was and never will be, and more often than not comes across as the right wing Jiminy Glick.

This can be said about not only every talking head on tv but every politican ever. Including your hero, Barry.

Having listened to all three's radio shows, I think that Beck and O'Reilly are much different than Hannity. Beck especially "gets", in much the same way as Rush, that the whole thing is entertainment, a theater of the mind. Probably no coincidence that both guys worked in FM before their talk careers. Hannity, on the other hand, is just the worst kind of humorless smear merchant: you can always judge these guys by their audiences and Hannity has by far the dumbest callers I've ever heard. Even he cringes openly at them sometimes.

Yeah, that's very true. I see what he's doing and it's well-crafted, but also very weird, like he's writing a daily movie script and is very dedicated to his character. It's old school entertainment from my grandfather's time updated for modern cable.

I doubt he's actually a prick. It's just that some of the accusations he levels aren't true and many of his "common sense" solutions to things don't actually work beyond the Capra/Grit Weekly imagery he's conjuring.

His task is not to formulate solutions. That's for politicans. His job is stir up discussion that leads to the correct solutions.

Spoon, I'd like you to tell me the names of republican/conservative that you like and think are competent and not disingenuous. Since you're a moderate.

i think in the last year or so O'reilly has become more sensible and less dramatic, while Rush, Sean and Beck have become more insane, more bile filled and completely batshit crazy.

Beck doesn't stir up discussion. He gives cute, old-fashioned white guy lectures into a prop microphone. He's a Paul Harvey, not a John McLaughlin or a Bill Moyers.

I've honestly only watched each a couple of times this year as I have a general distaste for all political partisan talk shows, so you maybe right jewels. In fact the only O'reilly I've seen this whole year is that interview w/ Frank.

I admire Jewels ability to watch O'Reilly, actually. He was such a bully back when I used to sit through his shows that I've only watched an entire broadcast twice in the past year.

There's different ways to accomplish creating discussion. One way is the aformentioned way. Other ways includes what Beck does on a nightly basis. It maybe a cheaper more low-brow approach but it still gets people talking. I'm not saying it's a desirable way. Only saying, that you're attacks are more general attacks on the medium (which I agree with) and not really attacks on Beck.

I usually listen to the radio show, when i don't have to see his smarmy faces. Maybe that helps.

Yes, you're right. I guess since I work in a conservative, rural radio market everytime I see Beck I see the process and not what the audience is supposed to see. It's like Jiminy Glick thinks he's Paul Harvey to me.

If I could step back and see it as just a show it'd probably be less aggravating.

Though I guess all the Charles Osgoods of my childhood were also crafting characters.

I've noticed the change in o'reilly too. Maybe he's triangulating. I've never thought of Beck as limbaughian but I've only read his CNN columns.

Beck is the worst fucking piece of shit except for Hannity.

I used to listen to Bill's radio show occasionally around 2004-5 and I was surprised even then how little of a right winger he actually is. He's actually just an asshole with occasional insight and flair for the over dramatic.

Just for equal time, Al Franken's old Air America show was some of the worst fucking radio ever (aside from the rejoiners which were all Grateful Dead). Randy Rhodes is a little better but still pretty insufferable. I've never heard Maddow. I'm guessing its boring.

Truly awful radio.

THANK GOD!

I never really paid attention to him before, but they've been moving him to CNN from CNN Headline News a lot lately. What a freakin asshole. Maybe Lou Dobbs will go next. I suggest they swap him with Terry Gross.

LOUB DOBGS needs to be ass raped

Rany Rhodes is god awful, i was indifferent to Maddow on the radio, but i think she's been great on TV.