As rumored, Glenn Beck is now officially saying he will be leaving the Fox News Channel at some point this year.
The New York Times Brian Stelter reports:.
His departure was jointly announced in a statement on Wednesday by Fox and Mr. Beck’s company, Mercury Radio Arts. The statement did not specify an end date for the show, called “Glenn Beck,” which has been telecast at 5 p.m. on Fox News since early 2009.
Fox News and Mercury Radio Arts, which have sometimes clashed over the making of “Glenn Beck,” will “work together to develop and produce a variety of television projects for air on the Fox News Channel as well as content for other platforms including Fox News’ digital properties,” the companies said in the statement.
As expected, a senior Fox News executive, Joel Cheatwood, will join Mr. Beck at Mercury Radio Arts starting later this month.
The statement was briefly posted on The Blaze, a Web site owned by Mr. Beck, but it was then taken down. Representatives for Fox and Mr. Beck did not immediately explain why.
Mr. Beck is a hugely popular figure on Fox News, averaging 2.2 million viewers a night, though his ratings have fallen somewhat in the last year. He often comes under criticism for his attacks on progressives and his apocalyptic predictions.
This article appears in Mar 31 – Apr 6, 2011.