Radio Talker Glenn Beck Heads To CNN-HeadlineNews

CAN HE SURVIVE?

Talk Radio's Beck Takes On Cable Television




Catching the industry by surprise, yesterday's announcement that radio talker Glenn Beck would join an increasingly crowded field of cable news hosts raises a number of questions.

The biggest: can he cut it on television?

Signing with CNN's Headline News, the conservative Beck is now primarily heard on Clear Channel Radio's owned and operated radio stations. After working in relative talk radio obscurity for some years, the company's Premiere Radio Networks arm took Beck national several years ago.

Since then, Beck's performance has been mixed, strong in some markets, weaker in others and not carried at all in several regions. In New England, the Northwest and elsewhere, Beck's name will not ring a bell for even the most dedicated talk radio fans.

In other areas, such as the South, he's built a substantial following. A particular strength has been in organizing well-attended promotional rallies in cities that carry his show, such as Dallas-Fort Worth, where he's heard on KLIF-AM.

Even so, he was pulled from Clear Channel's WGST/Atlanta last year and replaced with local programming. While there were rumblings he'd had a falling out with Clear Channel, last year he re-signed with Premiere for a multi-year deal.

Since then, Beck's been very low key, not especially active. Somewhat of a lone wolf, he's not commonly referenced in the blogosphere, or in conservative publications. Nor is he someone activists on the right feel the need to rally behind during controversies.


With that, some key questions regarding the new show:


--- Can he survive in television's most cutthroat programming niche? The Radio Equalizer believes it depends on the network, timeslot and expectations. Beck comes out ahead on all three.

Who really expects Headline News programs to get ratings? When they do, it's a nice plus, such Nancy Grace's now-loyal following. Beck can only improve upon what's now in the timeslot. You simply can't fault CNN for taking a risk, it's the right move for a little-watched channel now doing fairly well with talk programs.

If, for example, he'd been given a FOX News Channel show, that'd be a different story, as he'd have to keep up with the rest of the pack.

Wouldn't that be a tremendous hurdle to jump over?


--- Can he stay in control? Sometimes, Beck loses it on the air.

While it seems to be part of his act, television suits have thin skins. Some of his outbursts are Michael Savage-like in their intensity, such as when he pondered killing lefty film producer Michael Moore.

Actually, I've never heard Savage go that far, have you? And as you may remember, "The Savage Nation" host didn't last long on cable, did he?


---Does Beck have the talent for television? Possibly.

He's animated on the radio, with showmanship a big part of his on-air performance. If he's comfortable with the camera, he'll be able to pull it off.


--- Will viewers bond with him? Unclear, we'll have to watch. Beck has a quirky act that takes time to grasp, which could hinder him on television, a less intimate medium than radio.


Very few make successful transitions from radio to television, so we'll be watching closely to see how Beck fares.


For other thoughts about Beck's prospects, TVNewser has coverage here, as does Rich Glasgow's Isn't It Rich.

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