What If There Is No Rapture?: Shifting Sands Mean Layoffs for Glenn Beck and TheBlaze

Thursday, April 28, 2016

Shifting Sands Mean Layoffs for Glenn Beck and TheBlaze - from TRUNEWS

(TRUNEWS) Various media reports are indicating massive internal changes within Glenn Beck’s media conglomerate TheBlaze. A number of layoffs within the organization have been confirmed, which follows a number of senior staff level replacements that took place several months ago.

The reason: TheBlaze has to meet the terms of a massive bank loan that the organization took out to keep the machinery going. Quoting The Daily Beast:

Sources estimated that nearly 40 people are being laid off…in order to satisfy the requirements of a multi-million dollar bank loan taken out recently to keep Beck’s revenue-challenged enterprise running.

Subscriptions to TheBlaze have fallen significantly over the past year, and Beck’s extensive travel in support of Presidential candidate Senator Ted Cruz have been pointed to as factors in the decline within the operations. Beck’s limited appearances on his program have also resulted in a revenue drop in ad sales managed by his privately held company Mercury Radio Arts.

In a statement by TheBlaze on Thursday (which was originally intended for Friday until the story of layoffs broke), a representative from the organization posted on the aggregate site Medium:

We at TheBlaze are intent upon making a clean break from the past and signaling a new era in our development. To realize this goal and better serve you, our audience, our partners, and our advertisers in a consistent and credible way, we are making some important changes in the way TheBlaze does business.

In spite of the massive layoffs, TheBlaze announced the addition of three key executives:

TheBlaze announced today that it has appointed three digital media industry veterans to its leadership team based in the company’s studio headquarters.

Chris Gannett joins the company as Senior Vice President of Marketing. He is the former Chief Marketing Officer of CORE Media Group, the owner and producer of powerhouse global entertainment brands including “American Idol” and “So You Think You Can Dance.”

Matt Frucci joins as Senior Vice President of Content and Programming. Previously with CNN, he was Executive Producer of “New Day” hosted by Chris Cuomo, Kate Bolduan and Michaela Pereira. Prior to CNN, Matt ran the weekend edition of “Good Morning America” at ABC News.

Lisa Fowler joins as Vice President of Talent and Culture from Viacom’s BET Networks.

Time will tell whether Glenn Beck and TheBlaze will survive the current crisis, but given Beck’s previous track record, formerly of CNN, then Fox, the iconoclastic Beck seems to always find a place to land.

Earlier this year, TRUNEWS President Rick Wiles expressed alarm over Glenn Beck’s mental health after the radio host said he would repeatedly stab billionaire Donald Trump if he got near him with a knife. Rick Wiles said:

Speaking on his nationally syndicated radio program on Friday, Mr. Beck said, “I don’t know what I would have done if I was sitting in” Cruz or Rubio’s shoes, Beck stated. “I can’t say it that way. If I were on the stage, I would have said, ‘have you been listening to him tonight? Have you been listening to what I say about him?’ I believe these things….If I was close enough and had a knife, the stabbing just wouldn’t stop.”

Mr. Beck broadcast Friday’s program from the CPAC convention in Washington, D.C.

Wiles is the host of TRUNEWS, a popular Christian-themed radio news program. He said Glenn Beck’s on-air comments were more than “over the top” for a nationally-known broadcaster. “Glenn Beck openly said on hundreds of radio stations that he wanted to repeatedly slash Donald Trump with a knife if he could get close to the Republican candidate.”

According to Wiles, Mr. Beck is “exhibiting signs of emotional instability.”

“Glenn Beck openly expressed his desire to murder a presidential candidate. His comments are quite disturbing coming from a man who is heard by more than six million people each day.”

Wiles said he is already troubled by the rancor and viciousness of the 2016 Presidential campaign. “Mr. Beck’s fantasy of slashing Donald Trump to death only intensifies the poisonous atmosphere of this year’s election campaign.”

The TRUNEWS host said he was shocked when he heard the audio from today’s edition of the Glenn Beck Show. “Glenn Beck’s words were more than over the top. They constitute a threat to commit a violent act against the leading candidate for President. I hope the Secret Service visits Mr. Beck and orders him to get psychiatric treatment.”

“I’m not surprised that Donald Trump cancelled his appearance at CPAC. His bodyguards probably advised him to stay away from Glenn Beck!”