TheBlaze
| TheBlaze | |
|---|---|
|
TheBlaze logo as of 2017 | |
| Launched | September 12, 2011 |
| Owned by | Mercury Radio Arts |
| Slogan | The New American Heartland |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Broadcast area | Worldwide |
| Headquarters | Irving, Texas |
| Website | www.theblaze.com |
Availability | |
| Satellite | |
| Dish Network | 212 |
| DirecTV | TBD |
| Cable | |
| Available on select cable providers | Check local listings for channel numbers |
| IPTV | |
| Roku | TheBlaze |
| Google Play | TheBlaze |
| iTunes | TheBlaze |
| Apple TV | TheBlaze |
| Verizon FiOS | 112 |
| Streaming media | |
| Watch Live | TheBlaze.com |
| Sling TV | TheBlaze |
| TuneIn | TheBlaze |
TheBlaze is an American multiplatform news and entertainment network available on television, radio, and the Internet founded by talk radio personality and entrepreneur Glenn Beck, based in Irving, Texas. TheBlaze has studios and offices based in the Las Colinas urban district in Irving, Texas and Los Angeles.
The network is available on regional cable providers throughout the United States, on Verizon Fios channel 112, on Dish Network channel 212, on the Roku Device, on Sling TV, and is available internationally on its own online streaming service. The live audio stream is available on iHeartRadio and both the audio stream and live television stream are available on TheBlaze app, which is on the iPhone and on Android through Google Play.
As of December 30, 2014, TheBlaze was available on over 100 television providers, with eleven of those being in the top 25 nationwide.[1]
History
Beck spawned Mercury Radio Arts in 2002, naming it after Orson Welles' seminal Mercury Theatre, which produced live theatrical broadcasts during the 1930s. The company produces all of Beck's productions, including his eponymous radio show, books, and live stage shows, and his official website.[2][3]
On August 31, 2010, three days after his Restoring Honor rally at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D. C., Beck launched TheBlaze website, describing it as an alternative to "mainstream media outlets", which he said are "distorting facts to fit rigid agendas," he said TheBlaze will feature "breaking news, original reporting, insightful opinions and engaging videos about the stories that matter most" and that "we will examine our culture, deal with matters of faith and family, and we won't be afraid of a history lesson."[4] The site was reportedly modeled after The Huffington Post, and has been compared accordingly by Matt DeLong of the Washington Post and Steve Krakauer of Mediaite.[5]
Beck announced the creation of an online only network that would replace Insider Extreme as a result of his Fox News departure on June 7, 2011. On September 12, 2011, Beck launched GBTV (acronymous for Glenn Beck TV) as an exclusive internet streaming network, produced and operated by Mercury Radio Arts. GBTV would air a television adaptation of his radio show, his television show, and other original programming, including Real News from TheBlaze, a nightly news program hosted by former CNN personality Amy Holmes.[6] On June 18, 2012, Mercury Radio Arts announced the consolidation of all of its outlets under the "TheBlaze" brand, thus renaming the internet television station from GBTV to TheBlaze.[7]
In 2012, Dish Network placed TheBlaze on its channel lineup. As a result of the "Get TheBlaze" campaign (a movement led by supporters to have other supporters call their cable or satellite television provider and ask them to carry the channel), several smaller, regional cable operators also have recently picked up TheBlaze—including Cablevision (a.k.a. Optimum TV – Channel 828), a major cable provider in the New York metropolitan area .[8][9]
Betsy Morgan was named CEO of TheBlaze on December 9, 2014, replacing Chris Balfe, who had been CEO since the beginning. Morgan left the company on in June 2015.[10] Chief Revenue Officer Kraig Kitchin replaced Morgan until he resigned in January 2016, taking the position of Interim Head of Sales and being replaced by Stewart Padveen, a digital startup entrepreneur, who resigned in February 2017, after completing a successful turnaround year at TheBlaze, launching a new OTT & CMS platform, innovative new monetization opportunities, highly popular new digital content, expanded distribution and doubling TheBlaze's audience size. Beck took over as CEO of the company in May 2017. [11]
On Monday, November 2, 2015, Beck sent an open letter to the Republican National Convention, requesting permission for TheBlaze to host the ninth and final Republican presidential debate.
Programs
Daily shows
| Program | Host | Time (Eastern) | Notes | Original Run |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Glenn Beck Radio Program | Glenn Beck Pat Gray Stu Burguiere Jeff "Jeffy" Fisher | 9 AM – 12 PM | Live – Video simulcast of the Premiere Networks radio program. | 2000–present |
| Pat & Stu | Pat Gray Stu Burguiere Jeff "Jeffy" Fisher | 12 PM – 1 PM | Live show featuring the Glenn Beck Radio Program's co-hosts. Audio is later rebroadcast on TheBlaze Radio Network. Originally 1 hour long when known as "The 4th Hour", it expanded to 2 hours in 2012 when GBTV became TheBlaze, but went back to one hour on August 14, 2017. | 2012–present |
| Glenn | Glenn Beck | 5 PM – 6 PM | Television-exclusive program. A continuation of Beck's previous TV shows that had aired on Headline News and Fox News Channel until 2011. Renamed Glenn in 2016, it consists of four types of shows: Think Tank, Vault, HiStory, and audience/special desk shows. | 2006–present |
| Dana | Dana Loesch | 6 PM – 7 PM | Daily opinion show hosted by Dana Loesch. | 2014–present |
Weekly shows
- hiSTORY – show highlighting the accomplishments of courageous historical figures.
- Cain Conversation – political commentary, interviews and news with Will Cain; two episodes a week
- ThrowBeck – A collection of the most memorable moments ever on The Glenn Beck Program
- Common Ground – Two best friends, one who leans right wing and one who leans left wing, discuss the world events
- Week In Review – News show; review of the week's news events
- For the Record – an investigative documentary series
- The Wonderful World of Stu – Political satire presented by Stu Burguiere, focused primarily on promoting Libertarian principles while also poking fun at progressives and government regulation.
- After Action – A talk show starring retired United States Navy SEALS Marcus Luttrell and Peter Scobell
- The Root – An investigative documentary series getting down to the "root" of current events
- Hot Shots – Reality television program that follows professional and amateur shooters on and off a gun range.
- Ammo & Attitude – A women-only outdoor show, in the spirit of Survivor meeting The Apprentice. Sponsored by GoPro and Under Armour
- Election Center 2016 – Coverage of the Presidential Elections
- Foundations of Freedom – mini-series hosted by David Barton
Television studios
TheBlaze headquarters is located in Irving, Texas at the formerly titled Movie Studios at Las Colinas, where feature films Robocop and JFK, and television series Walker, Texas Ranger and Prison Break were filmed.[12] Mercury Radio Arts has taken over the entire complex, where it currently operates production studios, a global newsroom, and also houses Mercury Productions.
Mercury Radio Arts, owned and operated by Beck, operates all of its properties from the complex, including TheBlaze, Mercury Productions, Mercury Ink publishing, 1791 Supply & Co., Real Estate Agents I Trust, and the Mercury One charity organization.
Notable personalities
Program hosts for TV & Radio
- Glenn Beck – Glenn, Glenn Beck Radio
- Stu Burguiere – Glenn Beck Radio, Pat & Stu, The Wonderful World of Stu
- Pat Gray – Glenn Beck Radio, Pat & Stu
- Dana Loesch – Dana, Dana Radio – The Conservative Alternative
- Lawrence B. Jones – Common Ground and The Lawrence Jones Show
- Joe Pagliarulo – The Weekend with Pags
- Daniel Lapin – Rabbi Daniel Lapin
- Allie Stuckey - For What It's Worth
- Buck Sexton - America Now
- Chris Salcedo - The Chris Salcedo Show
- Jeff Fisher - The Jeff Fisher Radio Program
Correspondents, contributors, and substitute hosts
Frequent Guests
- Steven Crowder – Host of Louder with Crowder on Conservative Review
- Ben Shapiro – Editor-in-Chief of The Daily Wire and host of The Ben Shapiro Show
- Ted Cruz – United States senator from Texas and 2016 Republican Presidential Candidate
- Mark Levin – Founder of the Conservative Review and host of The Mark Levin Show
- Mike Lee - United States senator from Utah
- Ben Sasse - United States senator from Nebraska
- Bill O'Reilly – Former television host of The O'Reilly Factor on Fox News, and host of No Spin News.
Former hosts and contributors
- Laurie Dhue – Blaze News anchor
- S. E. Cupp – Real News
- Andrew WK – America WK
- Mike Rowe – Building America
- Jay Severin – The Jay Severin Show
- Buck Sexton – The Buck Sexton Show
- Tomi Lahren – Tomi (2016–17)
Additional outlets
Radio
 | |
| Broadcast area | Worldwide via Internet streaming and smartphone apps |
|---|---|
| Slogan | The Next Generation of Talk Radio |
| Frequency | iHeartRadio, SiriusXM 132 |
| First air date | September 5, 2012 |
| Format | Conservative libertarian talk radio |
| Class | Internet radio station |
| Owner |
Mercury Radio Arts TheBlaze |
| Website |
theblaze |
TheBlaze Radio Network was launched on September 5, 2012 and is available on SiriusXM and for free online, as well via the company's iOS app and the iHeartRadio app. TheBlaze Radio Network is the exclusive home of conservative talk-show hosts Jay Severin and Doc Thompson. Starting in 2013, it began producing and operating TheBlaze Radio News, providing news updates at the top of each programming hour on the SiriusXM channel SiriusXM Patriot.
Online
 | |
|
show screenshot  Homepage screenshot on 14 May 2016 | |
Type of site | News and opinion |
|---|---|
| Available in | English |
| Owner | Mercury Radio Arts (Glenn Beck) |
| Editor | Leon Wolf |
| Slogan(s) | "The truth has no agenda." |
| Website |
theblaze |
| Alexa rank |
 3,249 (May 2017)[13] |
| Commercial | Yes |
| Launched | August 26, 2010 |
| Current status | Active |
TheBlaze website launched on August 26, 2010. According to Beck, the site took two months to design.[4] At launch, the site's chief editor was Scott Baker, with its associate editor/video producer Pam Key and with Jon Seidl and Meredith Jessup as reporters. Key is known for her blog, Naked Emperor News: Smoking Gun Video and Images. Baker is a former Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, broadcast journalist who previously worked at The Huffington Post and Breitbart TV. Seidl, of the Manhattan Institute, previously worked at the American Spectator. Jessup previously worked at Townhall.com. Journalists joining TheBlaze later included S. E. Cupp and David Harsanyi.
On its opening morning, the site featured advertisements for Dick Armey's new book and for Goldline International,[4] and its lead story dealt with allegations that Education Secretary Arne Duncan encouraged Education Department employees to attend Al Sharpton's counter-rally in Washington, which took place on the same day as the Restoring Honor rally and at which Duncan spoke.[14] Another story, criticizing Feisal Abdul Rauf, featured the headline "Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf, the man behind the Ground Zero mosque, claims to be a Jew, Christian, and a Muslim. But some say that's impossible."[15]
In January 2011, Betsy Morgan became president and Kraig Kitchin director of sales. Morgan had helmed the Huffington Post until 2009. Kitchin had formerly been the president of Premier Radio.[16]
In March 2011, the site was noted for its critique of James O'Keefe's NPR sting video.[17]
Visits to the website declined from 21.5 unique visitors in March 2014 to 8 million in February 2017.[18]
Books
Mercury Ink is a co-publishing deal with Simon & Schuster and was founded by Glenn Beck in 2011 as the publishing imprint of Mercury Radio Arts.[19] Started in 2011, Mercury Ink publishes adult and young adult novels and non-fiction titles. Including books written by Glenn Beck, authors signed to Mercury Ink include New York Times best seller Richard Paul Evans.
Magazine
TheBlaze (titled Fusion prior to September 2012) was a monthly news magazine published by Mercury Radio Arts and TheBlaze in New York City and circulated throughout the United States. Its former title, Fusion, was taken from Beck's talk radio program's slogan, "The Fusion of Entertainment and Enlightenment." The editor in chief was Scott Baker.[20] The magazine was sixteen pages and was published monthly except for February and August. It was available digitally and in print.[21] The last edition of TheBlaze magazine was published in April 2015.
References
- ↑ Steinberg, Brian. "Suddenlink Launches Glenn Beck's TheBlaze After Removing Viacom Outlets". Variety. Retrieved July 7, 2015.
- ↑ Leibovich, Mark (September 29, 2010). "Being Glenn Beck". New York Times Magazine.
- ↑ Rose, Lacey (August 30, 2010). "Glenn Beck's $35 Million Empire Adds A News Site". Forbes Blogs: Moneywood.
- 1 2 3 Barr, Andy (August 31, 2010). "Glenn Beck launches news site". POLITICO. Retrieved August 31, 2010.
- ↑ Rose, Lacey (August 31, 2010). "Glenn Beck's $35 Million Empire Adds A News Site". Forbes. Retrieved August 31, 2010.
- ↑ Amy Holmes Joins Glenn Beck's GBTV Network As Anchor, Huffington Post, August 9, 2011
- ↑ "Glenn Beck drops his name from Web network, promises media 'revolution' – CNN.com". CNN. June 18, 2012. Retrieved September 1, 2013.
- ↑ Morgenstern, Madeleine (March 28, 2013). "TheBlaze TV Launching on 4 More Cable Operators". TheBlaze. Retrieved March 28, 2013.
- ↑ Adams, Becket (May 1, 2013). "TheBlaze Extends Its Reach, Announces TV Deal with Tri State Cable Provider". TheBlaze. Retrieved May 1, 2013.
- ↑ "Betsy Morgan, CEO of Glenn Beck's The Blaze, Steps Down". www.adweek.com. Retrieved 2016-05-30.
- ↑ "Glenn Beck New Blaze CEO".
- ↑ "Jobs". October 30, 2016.
- ↑ "Theblaze.com Site Info". Alexa Internet. Retrieved May 4, 2017.
- ↑ DeLong, Matt (August 31, 2010). "Glenn Beck launches conservative news site TheBlaze.com". Washington Post. Retrieved August 31, 2010.
- ↑ Weiner, Juli (August 31, 2010). "Is the Conservative Media Ignoring the Launch of The Blaze, Glenn Beck's New Web Site?". Vanity Fair. Retrieved August 31, 2010.
- ↑ Lang, Brent (January 5, 2011). "Glenn Beck Hires HuffPo's Morgan for His Fledgling Website". The Wrap.
- ↑ "Analysts, NPR: Video edit of executive misleading". Associated Press. March 14, 2011.
- ↑ Barrabi, Thomas (27 March 2017). "Will Tomi Lahren's Apparent Firing from TheBlaze Burn Glenn Beck's Brand?". Fox News. Retrieved 3 April 2017.
- ↑ "Glenn Beck Re-Ups with S&S; Launches New Imprint". PublishersWeekly.com. Retrieved 2016-12-30.
- ↑ "Scott Baker". TheBlaze.com. Retrieved 2016-02-27.
- ↑ "FAQ". Archived from the original on November 14, 2014. Retrieved December 3, 2014.