14 years ago, Glenn Beck announced he was leaving Fox News to launch The Blaze. He believes that he paved the path for The Daily Wire, Megyn Kelly, Tucker Carlson, and others.
To begin The Glenn Beck Program on Tuesday, the nationally syndicated host commemorated the anniversary of his announcement.
He shared that some at the time thought he was committing career suicide by leaving an institution like Fox News. But he believes — despite being mocked by others — that he’s been proved right by the choice.
“It was weirdos that we’re doing podcasts,” Beck said of his 2011 move to digital. “I mean, it’s still weirdos doing podcasts, but it was weirdos doing podcasts at the time. Podcasts were not like they are now. Nobody was streaming video that was insane, live streaming video. My goal then was to crack the back of the mainstream media and give other voices a chance to be heard. Look at the mainstream media now.”
Beck’s co-host Stu Burguiere pointed to the news that NBC Nightly News has replaced Lester Holt with Tom Llamas not receiving much fanfare as a case-in-point for Beck’s argument.
Glenn Beck went on to thank his audience for helping him build what was originally billed as GBTV into The Blaze, which he believes was an influential turning point in the way major content creators operate.
“I meet people all the time. They’re so proud. They’re like, ‘I was one of the founding members. I was there.’ People were subscribed six months before we even had a product,” said Beck. “Look at the impact that The Blaze (has had). The Blaze paved the way for The Daily Wire. For Megan Kelly and Tucker Carlson. This was the one that paved the way. And I can’t thank you enough. Mission accomplished.”
Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. To stay updated, sign up for our newsletters and get the latest information delivered straight to your inbox.
