From Deseret News archives:

Making a better Glenn Beck

Life has been series of successes, struggles

Published: Sunday, Dec. 2, 2007 12:06 a.m. MST
 |  E-MAIL | PRINT | FONT + - 
The first thing you learn about Glenn Beck, the syndicated radio and TV talk-show phenomenon, is that he is usually doing several things at once. This morning, for instance, he's eating breakfast while doing an interview at the Grand America Hotel in Salt Lake City, biting off words and a croissant at the same time.

"Hope you don't mind if I eat while we talk," says Beck, who, as usual, is pressed for time.

Multitasking is Beck's M.O. On airline flights, a writer sits next to him recording or taking notes as Beck speaks for a book Beck is "writing." On a drive from Salt Lake City to Idaho during a family vacation, an assistant slides into the seat next to him to record his words for the masses again.

During his daily commute from Connecticut to New York and back, he responds to e-mails, reads newspapers and books, does phone interviews and researches show topics on videotape.

To fit everything in, he often eats lunch and participates in conference calls while walking from his radio studio to the Time-Warner Center.

"I've never been so tired," says Beck.

Story continues below
Besides hosting a daily three-hour radio talk show, the 43-year-old Beck also hosts, writes and produces a daily one-hour TV show, "writes" and records books (two of them at the moment) and a blog, serves as editor and chief of Fusion Magazine, and writes and produces comedy stage shows and fully orchestrated Christmas shows, including one that will come to Salt Lake City Saturday, in addition to making hundreds of speeches around the country each year.

Beck himself has become an industry, all of it based on sharing his opinion of the world with the world. It's talk, talk, talk, talk. His radio and TV discussions, delivered with a style that is alternately bombastic, self-deprecating, caustic, silly and humorous, cover everything from politics, "American Idol," parenting and political correctness (a favorite target) to Islamic extremism, selecting a video with his wife on a Friday night, the upcoming season of "24," adoption and anything else you can imagine.

Along the way, he has opened up his own life to the world and invited everyone in. His alcoholism, his recovery, his mother's suicide, his divorce, his Mormon conversion, his remarriage — no subject is off limits.

"People get invested in not just what he thinks but how he is living his life, his challenges, what he does for fun," says Christopher Balfe, CEO of Beck's Mercury Entertainment Group.

Recent comments

there is no doubt that beck is a dry drunk .but its prob.better then...

Anonymous | Sept. 17, 2009 at 12:49 p.m.

Another whining baby boomer making money off of wearing his religion...

John | Sept. 6, 2009 at 7:19 p.m.

I cannot find your e-mail addres to tell you that if traditional...

Anonymous | Sept. 6, 2009 at 5:38 a.m.

Image
Jennifer Ackerman, Deseret Morning News

Glenn Beck's life is all about talk - the radio and TV host has made a career of sharing his opinion of the world with the world.

Related content
previousnext

Latest comments

Gay rights, Blue Dogs

To ajvt: I don't know where you get your information, but you make Norway...

WOW! I am more concerned with johnny8424's response than with what happened...

Sen. Dems at odds over health bill

There have been few moments in US history when our entire system of...

The clarion calls of the right wing GOP ,their like minded ilks to wit : the...

Let the grade-school taunts and insults begin by fans of both sides. It's...

Boozer looking like 'the old Booz'

How about when the DWill gave the last shot or regulation to Millsap last...

NBA rookies getting the point

But he should probably spend some time with Horny to work on that 3 point...

Sen. Dems at odds over health bill

THe Senate Democrats on Sunday when they should be in Church, sparred with...

@ JSM- There's a huge difference to being open to new evidence, and banking...

How many "secularists" are being played the fool by political opportunists...

Advertisements