Blaze Media

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This article is about the news television network. For other uses, see The Blaze (disambiguation).
CountryUnited States
HeadquartersDallas
New York
United States
Programming
Language(s)English
Ownership
OwnerMercury Radio Arts
Glenn Beck

TheBlaze (formerly titled GBTV) is a libertarian conservative/independent news, information, and entertainment television network founded by talk radio personality, and entrepreneur Glenn Beck. TheBlaze has two studios based in Las Colinas, Texas and in New York City, New York.

The network is available on regional cable providers throughout the United States, on channel 212 of the Dish Network, on the Roku Device, on SkyAngel and available internationally on its own online streaming service. The audio stream is available on iHeartRadio and on TheBlaze app. In the future, the network may expand beyond their original news and talk show format. In the summer of 2013, Glenn Beck, American Dream Labs, and TheBlaze teamed up to produce the film/stage event titled "Man in the Moon", which was met with generally positive reception from attendees of the event.

History

File:Mercuryradioarts.svg
Mercury Radio Arts serves as the production and operating company over the TheBlaze's outlets.

Glenn 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 fan website GlennBeck.com.[1][2]

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."[3] 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.[4]

Glenn 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.[5] 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.[6]

In 2012, Dish Network placed TheBlaze on its channel lineup. As a result of the "Get TheBlaze" campaign (a movement led by Beck to have 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.[7][8]

In 2013, Glenn Beck stated on his radio program that the network will soon expand to entertainment shows, such as animated programs and dramas.

The American Dream Labs

"The American Dream Labs" is a place where filmmakers,[9] entrepreneurs, artists and inventors can all come together, and break outside of industry standards. The American Dream Labs worked with TheBlaze and Glenn Beck on the stage/film show Man in the Moon, which told the history of the world from the eyes of the Moon. "Man in the Moon" was met with positive reception, and sold out all of its seats at the nearly 20,000 seated outdoor auditorium that the show was presented at. "Man in the Moon" is set to be released on DVD in September 2013, and premiere on TheBlaze soon after. The American Dream Labs is located in Dallas, Texas.

"If you believe in not only thinking outside the box but in shattering the box all together, you've come to the right place," Glenn Beck stated, "Believe it or not, revolutionizing how the news is delivered and how a network is run is the smallest of our many, many dreams ... I do that knowing that some will mock, others will dismiss. But that's OK. Every era of change has those who are resistant to it and those who like the comfort of the status quo or those who wish to spend their free time or their creative time mocking. It's time to stop worrying about what others are doing and wonder why are we here."[10]

Programs

Daily shows

Weekly shows

  • Pursuit of the Truth - Reality show competition looking for "the world's next great documentary filmmaker," produced by Peter Billingsley, Vince Vaughn, and Gary Auerbach. Billingsley, additionally, will serve as one of the show's judges.
  • For the Record - Laurie Dhue presents weekly investigative news magazine with "no political agenda and nothing to lose." Show will air four times during Spring 2013 and will air weekly during Fall 2013 season.:
  • Dana - Dana Loesch
  • Liberty Treehouse- Raj Nair and Lu Hanessian focused on education and younger audiences.
  • Hot Shots - Reality television program that follows professional and amateur shooters on and off a gun range.
  • 3-Gun Nation - Reality show competition where professional and amateur shooters compete in a 3-Gun contest for the grand prize of $50,000.
  • The Wonderful World of Stu - Political satire presented by Stu, focused primarily on promoting Libertarian principles while also poking fun at progressives and heavy government regulation.
  • The B.S. of A. with Brian Sack - A sketch comedy show hosted by Brian Sack. Also features the popular segment Pumpernickel Boulevard.

Announced future programming

Beck has stated interest in going into story-driven productions (ie, Man in the Moon). A panel show titled "Dana" starring Dana Loesch is set to premiere on TheBlaze in 2014. All programs from 2013 have been renewed for 2014.

Television studios

Part of the set of Mercury Studio A in Dallas, TX looking into the television control room.

TheBlaze headquarters is located in Dallas, Texas at the historic Studios at Las Colinas, where feature films Robocop and JFK, and television series Walker, Texas Ranger and Prison Break were filmed.[citation needed] TheBlaze has taken over the entire complex, where it currently operates production studios, a global newsroom, and also houses The American Dream Labs.

  • Mercury Studio A: This studio is where the majority of shows are filmed, including The Glenn Beck Radio Program, Pat & Stu, The Glenn Beck Program, and The Wonderful World of Stu. The studio is basically decorated as a museum of American history, with a replica of the Oval Office (using props left over from the production of the feature film JFK) that includes a full-scale Resolute Desk, a carpet bearing the Seal of the President, and decorations modeling the real office. The studio also houses some of Glenn's favorite historical keepsakes, including Walt Disney's original blueprint and plans for Disneyland and the portrait of George Washington praying at Valley Forge. This studio is also the home of The American Dream Labs, though the actual working lab is hidden from the view of television cameras.
  • Mercury Studio C: The original studio for production of The Glenn Beck Program, this studio is currently not used for any shows.

The network also has a studio and global newsroom in New York City, where The B.S. of A. with Brian Sack, Real News, and Wilkow! are produced and, for prerecorded shows, filmed. The studio is also home of radio program The Buck Sexton Show that airs on Saturdays.

Personalities

Program hosts

Correspondents, contributors, and substitute hosts

Regular guests

Additional outlets

Radio

Main article: TheBlaze Radio Network

TheBlaze Radio Network was launched on September 5, 2012 and is available on SiriusXM internet radio channel 778 and for free via online streaming at TheBlaze.com/Radio, as well via the company's iOS app, and ClearChannel's iHeartRadio app. TheBlaze Radio Network is the exclusive home of popular 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

TheBlaze
Type of site
News and opinion
OwnerMercury Radio Arts (Glenn Beck)
Created byGlenn Beck
Betsy Morgan, president[11]
Scott Baker, editor-in-chief
EditorScott Baker
URLTheBlaze.com
CommercialYes

TheBlaze website launched on August 31, 2010. According to Beck, the site took two months to design.[3] 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 The Blaze later included S. E. Cupp, David Harsanyi and Billy Hallowell.

On its opening morning, the site featured advertisements for Dick Armey's new book and for Goldline International,[3] 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.[13] 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."[14]

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.[15]

In March 2011, the site was noted for its critique of James O'Keefe's NPR sting video.[16]

Books

Mercury Ink, partners with book publishing giant Simon & Schuster, is the publishing imprint of Mercury Radio Arts. 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.

References

  1. ^ Leibovich, Mark (September 29, 2010). "Being Glenn Beck". New York Times Magazine.
  2. ^ Rose, Lacey (August 30, 2010). "Glenn Beck's $35 Million Empire Adds A News Site". Forbes Blogs: Moneywood.
  3. ^ a b c Barr, Andy (August 31, 2010). "Glenn Beck launches news site". POLITICO. Retrieved August 31, 2010.
  4. ^ Rose, Lacey (August 31, 2010). "Glenn Beck's $35 Million Empire Adds A News Site". Forbes. Retrieved August 31, 2010.
  5. ^ Amy Holmes Joins Glenn Beck's GBTV Network As Anchor, Huffington Post, August 9, 2011
  6. ^ "Glenn Beck drops his name from Web network, promises media 'revolution' - CNN.com". CNN. 2012-06-18. Retrieved 2013-09-01.
  7. ^ Morgenstern, Madeleine (March 28, 2013). "TheBlaze TV Launching on 4 More Cable Operators". TheBlaze. Retrieved March 28, 2013.
  8. ^ Adams, Becket (May 1, 2013). "TheBlaze Extends Its Reach, Announces TV Deal with Tri State Cable Provider". TheBlaze. Retrieved May 1, 2013.
  9. ^ "Glenn Beck Moves Into Movie Production (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. 2014-02-07. Retrieved 2014-04-16.
  10. ^ Gabbay, Tiffany (January 7, 2013). "After Much Anticipation, Glenn Beck Unveils 'American Dream Labs'". TheBlaze.
  11. ^ Carter, Bill (January 5, 2011). "Former Huffington Post Chief Is Hired to Run Glenn Beck Site". New York Times.
  12. ^ "Theblaze.com Site Info". Alexa Internet. Retrieved 2012-08-02.
  13. ^ DeLong, Matt (August 31, 2010). "Glenn Beck launches conservative news site TheBlaze.com". Washington Post. Retrieved August 31, 2010.
  14. ^ 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.
  15. ^ Lang, Brent (January 5, 2011). "Glenn Beck Hires HuffPo's Morgan for His Fledgling Website". The Wrap.
  16. ^ "Analysts, NPR: Video edit of executive misleading". Associated Press. March 14, 2011.

External links

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