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6/8: WGST/CNN Headline News’ Glenn Beck at Cobb Energy
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Glenn Beck to some may be just another Sean Hannity/Rush Limbaugh clone.
But Beck — seen daily on CNN Headline News, heard locally on 640/WGST-AM — brings more humor to his political viewpoints, which he emphasized Saturday night during a one-man stage show he debuted in Atlanta before 1,500 acolytes at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre.
Dressed in an NRA T-shirt, Beck told humorous anecdotes about bureaucratic bumblers, such as the idiots at the airline who lost his gun and city officials who insisted he had three front yards, stopping him from building a fence. He also mocked gun control advocates, environmentalists and both major Presidential candidates.
Later, with a massive American flag draped behind him, he pretended to be a Presidential candidate and offered his philosophy on life.
“I’m your typical white bigot clinging to his guns and God,” he said sarcastically, paraphrasing Barack Obama. (Beck? Not a fan.)
He admits he’d be totally unelectable. Why? Here’s a sample: “The No Child Left Behind Act? Really? I think we should leave some of the stupid ones behind!”
Beck’s come a long way since recovering from alcohol and drug addiction. Just eight years ago, Beck worked as a talk-show host at a station in New Haven, Ct., barely paying his $695 rent.
But syndicators for Limbaugh liked him and gave him a shot at national radio fame soon after 9/11.
He has taken full advantage, building a fan base via his cable show, a No.1 New York Times bestseller and a spot on 300 radio stations, including his second stint at WGST. His drive, he admits, stems from insecurity and the depths of where he’s been before. “You never know when it’s going to end,” he said before the concert. “Make hay while you can!”
Atlanta was one of his first radio stations back in 2002 but Beck’s ratings never quite took off, although he drew more than 20,000 to Centennial Olympic Park right before the Iraqi war. WGST got rid of him in favor of the Regular Guys in early 2005 but that experiment ended quicklyk, with the Guys moved to 96rock. For more than six months, instead of putting Beck back, they had a silly rotation of radio hosts from around the country before bringing in Denny Schaffer from Toledo, Ohio. Schaffer never had a chance. The station was listing and he wasn’t given much of a chance to develop a following.
Schaffer was dumped in late 2006 in favor of Mike McConnell, a syndicated talker from Cincinnati. That didn’t work either so a few months back, WGST brought Beck back. Early returns have been favorable.
Beck’s cable show, after two years, lags behind MSNBC, CNN and Fox News at both 7 and 9 p.m. But he has shown steady growth in the past year and he notes that his audience is younger than his competitors.
As for Schaffer, he started doing a show last year on the Web and is now also heard back in Toledo. Check it out here.
Comments
By Randall Bloomquist
June 8, 2008 5:28 PM | Link to this
Bip! Bop! I’m Randall Bloomquist, chief moron and janitor at WGST. I destroyed WGST! Bip! Bop! Boing! Boing! Diddlewhack! Pfffft! Someone give me a job because Deskins is going to fire me.
By Al
June 8, 2008 5:37 PM | Link to this
There are 2 reasons why Glenn Beck is back on WGST.
WGST could not get Laura Ingraham from WGKA.
Chuck Deskins, another Clear Channel reject from Tampa, is following in the footsteps of those other losers from Tampa, including Pat McDonnell and Tim Dukes, in destroying the Clear Channel Atlanta stations.
By Chuck Deskins
June 8, 2008 8:57 PM | Link to this
I have to help out my Tampa rejects because once this company is sold, I’m out of a job. And…I expect one of these monkeys to help me out. Though I lack any type of job skills, I am more than happy to help Bloomquist clean the toilets at the Building of Death!
By TW
June 8, 2008 10:46 PM | Link to this
This country finds itself circling about the bowl becuase we’ve gotten bad advice. Who has had our ear during the decline? Rush, Hannity, Dobbs, and, yes, Glenn Beck. The anti-liberal shtick has proven to be a loser…just like Glenn Beck.
By ray
June 9, 2008 12:13 AM | Link to this
Glenn Beck? Who is he? Never heard of him and I doubt if I’ll every hear him! He must be another one of these narrow minded conservative nitwits, because they seem to be the only ones with talk shows on AM radio. Good luck in your next job Glenn; I hear Wal-Mart is looking for greeters your age!
By Nick Wright
June 9, 2008 3:40 AM | Link to this
The fact that Glenn Beck and George W. Bush are both recovering alcoholics is proof that beer kills brain cells.
By Doo Rag Marta Bus Rider
June 9, 2008 12:00 PM | Link to this
Randall Bloomquist: The worst program director in the history of ATL radio… dont worry Chris Williams.. you are #2.
By Bud
June 9, 2008 2:48 PM | Link to this
Project 9-6-1 absolutely stinks!
By jimmy k
June 9, 2008 3:34 PM | Link to this
Ever get the feeling that new talk radio people hire consultants to tell them what opinions they should express simply to maximize ratings?
Boortz and Beck probably doesn’t believe half of what they say…they just know it’ll keep the listeners tuned in and the ad revenue up.
By Randall Bloomquist
June 9, 2008 5:23 PM | Link to this
I’m number 1! I’m number 1! I’m the number 1 worst program director in the history of Atlanta radio!! Ha! Ha! Ha! I’m number 1! Bip! Bop! Diddle! Diddle! Boing! I’m the worst program director in the whole universe! I’m also a big MORON!!
By Chuck Deskins
June 9, 2008 5:30 PM | Link to this
Hobnobbing with the goober smoochers!
Bloomquist hobnobs with goober smoochers while he cleans the toilets at The Building of Death!
By Chuck Deskins
June 9, 2008 5:36 PM | Link to this
Hobnobbing with the goober smoochers!
Bloomquist hobnobs with goober smoochers while he cleans the toilets at The Building of Death!
By Kathy
June 9, 2008 7:52 PM | Link to this
This show was AWESOME! Glenn Beck is not about being a republican or a democrat, he is about right and wrong. His humor is emphasizing things that should be common sense. The show was hilarious!
By Melee in Seattle
June 11, 2008 4:03 PM | Link to this
Kathy seems to be the only person in here that shows any intellegence.
Kathy, I think what bothers these people is that he has no alliegence to a party so they can’t lump him into one big stereotype. Heck! he is on CNN of all channels, and they still hate him. These guys in here could never measure up to Beck and they are intimidated by him.
Standing up for what is right is hardly ever commended, in fact it has always been ridiculed in the most harshest of manner.
I saw this show too and I loved it, he truly is a man of integrity and consistency, and a sense of humor these boobs in here could begin to fathom.
By StevenCee
June 17, 2008 4:56 PM | Link to this
“Integrity”? “Consistency”? Obviously the views of someone who hasn’t listened to him very often…
“Not partisan”? Oh yeah, I’ve heard him TALK about “coming together”, and not getting mired down in partisan bickering, then comes out of these brief moments of lucidity, and goes right back to his vitriolic, partisan name-calling, vilifying, & very Un-Christian-like rants!
He does have it a little over Rush & Sean, in that, like Savage, Boortz, & even O’Reilly & Pat Buchanan, he will have “moments of sanity”….
But they are too few and far between… To not see HIS hypocrisy, double-standards, and divisive bigotry, is to not listen very critically……
His listeners need to follow Boortz’s advice (although I doubt many of his actually do, either), “Don’t believe anything he says without verifying it on your own”!!!
If more people did that, our country would be more unified, and we’d actually begin to solve some of our problems….