Charles Kraus: Glenn Beck Sees His Ratings Decline by 33 Percent

Thursday, March 10, 2011

Glenn Beck Sees His Ratings Decline by 33 Percent

Filed under: News

In August of last year, Glenn Beck seemed to be on top of the world. The rising star of Fox News held a "Restoring Honor" march on Washington that drew 100,000 people, who also seemed to feel that American honor had been lost since they'd mistakenly allowed a black man into the White House.

Well, since that time, Beck's supporters haven't been nearly as supportive, or perhaps they've simply gotten bored. Whatever the reason, the viewership on Beck's Fox News show has declined by 33 percent since last August.

In fact, some speculate as to whether or not Beck's beloved network will give him the ax.

But don't pop the champagne bottle just yet. Beck still has two-million viewers each night and remains a force in conservative commentary. Whether or not Fox keeps him is not just dependent upon him getting two million viewers, it is also dependent on whether he's worth the money they are paying him - as well as their likelihood of finding someone else who can do a better job.

According to Forbes, Beck earned $32 million last year, but only $2 million from Fox. The rest of his dough comes from publishing books and doing his radio show. Whether you like him or not, Beck is a conservative force to be reckoned with, but he also receives criticism from other Republicans, who feel that his outlandish conspiracy theories undermine other more serious commentators.

It may not surprise you to hear that I'm not a big fan of Glenn Beck.

At the same time, I respect what he has accomplished. The fact that his rhetoric is laced with alarmist conspiracy theories is perfect for a Muslim-fearing nation who wants to believe that Barack Hussein Obama is really a foreign-born Muslim who hates all white people and plans to destroy the country.

To some extent, Beck's success is a reflection of the fact that racism and fear can cause people to lose their minds and believe anything that makes them feel better about their situation.

Here's the deal: Fox won't get rid of Glenn Beck. The fall in ratings is likely due to the fact that his ratings were so high last August relative to the norm. Beck rivals and even surpasses Sean Hannity and Bill O'Reilly, and he took the 5 p.m. slot (not exactly prime time) and shot the ratings through the roof. So, rumors about the death of Glenn Beck's television show are certainly premature.

I can say, however, that as America matures, the need for men like Beck will decline. The mere presence and success of Glenn Beck, Sean Hannity, Rush Limbaugh and Bill O'Reilly (who would probably not have a show in nearly any other country in the world) is a clear reminder that our nation has not yet achieved the dream of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.