Blaze Media

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This article is about the news television network. For other uses, see The Blaze (disambiguation).

BlazeTV
BlazeTVDec2018.png
LaunchedSeptember 12, 2011
Owned byMercury Radio Arts
Picture format1080i HDTV
(downscaled to letterboxed 480i for the SDTV feed)
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Broadcast areaUnited States
HeadquartersIrving, Texas
Websitetheblaze.com
Availability
Satellite
Dish NetworkChannel 212
Cable
OptimumChannel 157 (SD)
Channel 828 (HD)
All West228
Cable One345
Mediacom81
Available on select regional cable providersChannel slots vary on each operator
Streaming media
[1]BlazeTV
Sling TVBlazeTV
TuneInTheBlaze
Google PlayBlazeTV
iTunesBlazeTV
Apple TVTheBlaze
RokuTheBlaze

Blaze Media is an American conservative propaganda company founded in December 2018 by a merger between TheBlaze, a pay television network founded by Glenn Beck, with CRTV, founded by fellow talk radio personality Mark Levin. The company's co-presidents are Tyler Cardon and Gaston Mooney.[1] It is based in Irving, Texas.[2][3] TheBlaze has studios and offices based in the Las Colinas urban district in Irving and Los Angeles.

As of February 4th, 2019, BlazeTV is available on 153 cable providers across the United States, in addition to their subscription based online service. [4]

History[edit]

Beck founded Mercury Radio Arts in 2002, naming it after the 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 official website.[5][6]

On August 31, 2010, three days after his Restoring Honor rally at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., Beck launched the 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."[7] 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.[8]

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 (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.[9] 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.[10]

In 2012, Dish Network placed TheBlaze on its channel lineup. As a result of the "Get TheBlaze" campaign (a movement led by supporters to have other 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—including Cablevision (also known as Optimum TV – Channel 828), a major cable provider in the New York metropolitan area.[11][12]

Betsy Morgan was named CEO of TheBlaze on December 9, 2014, replacing Chris Balfe, who had been CEO since the beginning. Morgan left the company on in June 2015.[13] Chief Revenue Officer Kraig Kitchin replaced Morgan until he resigned in January 2016, taking the position of Interim Head of Sales and being replaced by Stewart Padveen, a digital startup entrepreneur, who resigned in February 2017, after completing a successful turnaround year at TheBlaze, launching a new OTT & CMS platform, innovative new monetization opportunities, highly popular new digital content, expanded distribution, and doubling TheBlaze's audience size. Beck took over as CEO of the company in May 2017.[14]

On November 2, 2015, Beck sent an open letter to the Republican National Convention, requesting permission for TheBlaze to host the ninth and final Republican presidential debate; this offer was not accepted.[15][16]

On August 31, 2017, TheBlaze laid off nearly 60 employees, which cut its personnel by almost 30%.[17]

On December 28, 2018 Verizon Fios removed TheBlaze from its lineup.[18]

Merger with CRTV[edit]

On December 3, 2018, TheBlaze's television arm merged with CRTV, the subscription video arm of Conservative Review. The merged entity, which now bears the name Blaze Media, retains TheBlaze's channel slot and incorporates CRTV's existing programs into the linear channel's prime time schedule (filling holes in the schedule that had been vacant since TheBlaze's previous layoffs in 2017).[19]

Gavin McInnes, the founder of the Proud Boys, who had hosted Get Off My Lawn on CRTV, was expected to host his program for the new company, whose co-president, Gaston Mooney, called McInnes "a comedian and provocateur, one of the many varied voices and viewpoints on Blaze Media platforms." Less than a week after the merger, however, it was announced that McInnes was no longer associated with Blaze Media, with no details given as to why.[20][21]

Programs[edit]

Notable daily programs[edit]

The following is an incomplete list of notable shows featured on BlazeTV's lineup as of 2019

Program Host Time (Eastern) Notes Original Run
Pat Gray Unleashed Pat Gray
Keith Malinak		 7–9 AM Live – Video simulcast of TheBlaze Radio Network radio program starring Glenn's best friend and former radio co-host Pat Gray 2017–present
The Glenn Beck Program (stylized glenn RADIO on TV) Glenn Beck
Stu Burguiere		 9 AM–Noon Live – Video simulcast of the Premiere Networks radio program 2001–present
Steve Deace Show Steve Deace
Todd Erzen
Aaron McIntire		 Noon–2 PM Live – Video simulcast of the CRTV program. Also airs live on TheBlaze Radio Network. 2017–present
(On TheBlaze 2018–present)
Glenn TV Glenn Beck 5–5:30 PM Television-exclusive program; a continuation of Beck's previous television shows that had aired on Headline News until 2008 and Fox News Channel until 2011, renamed Glenn in 2016 2006–present
(on TheBlaze 2011–present)
AmERICa with Eric Bolling Eric Bolling 6 PM - 7 PM Political commentary and news/talk with commentator Eric Bolling 2019-present
Louder with Crowder Steven Crowder 7 PM - 8 PM Comedian and talk show host Steven Crowder talks issues of the day, performs satirical skits, and debates with leftists across the country 2018–present
In the Woods with Phil Phil Robertson TBA Phil Robertson of Duck Dynasty fame hosts his own show focused on cultural commentary in a nature setting 2018–present [22]
Levin TV Mark Levin TBA Mark Levin's hour long daily show, carried over from CRTV after the merger with TheBlaze 2017-present

Times based on the cable/Dish Network schedule and the BlazeTV website daily schedule

Notable weekly shows[edit]

Television studios[edit]

TheBlaze Dallas studios at the Studios at Las Colinas looking into the television control room

TheBlaze headquarters is located in Irving, Texas, at the Mercury Studios (formerly the Studios at Las Colinas), where feature films Robocop and JFK, and television series Walker, Texas Ranger and Prison Break were filmed.[23] Mercury Radio Arts has taken over the entire complex, where it currently operates production studios, a global newsroom, and also houses Mercury Productions.

Mercury Radio Arts, owned and operated by Beck, operates all of its properties from the complex, including TheBlaze, Mercury Productions, Mercury Ink publishing, 1791 Supply & Co., Real Estate Agents I Trust, and the Mercury One charity organization.

Notable personalities[edit]

Program hosts for television and radio[edit]

  • Glenn Beck – Glenn TV (host), Glenn Radio (host)
  • Stu Burguiere – Glenn Radio (co-host/executive producer), The Wonderful World of Stu (host), Glenn TV (executive producer)
  • Pat Gray – Pat Gray Unleashed (host), Glenn Radio (recurring regular and frequent fill-in host)

Frequent guests[edit]

Former hosts and contributors[edit]

TheBlaze Radio Network
BlazeRadiologo.png
Broadcast areaWorldwide via Internet streaming and smartphone apps
FrequencyInternet (iHeartRadio, TheBlaze apps, web)
First air dateSeptember 5, 2012
FormatConservative libertarian talk radio
ClassInternet radio station
OwnerMercury Radio Arts
TheBlaze
Websitewww.theblaze.com/st/Radio

Additional outlets[edit]

Radio[edit]

Main article: TheBlaze Radio Network

TheBlaze Radio Network was launched on September 5, 2012 and is available for free online via the company's website, iOS and Android apps, and the iHeartRadio app. TheBlaze Radio Network is the exclusive home of conservative talk-show host Pat Gray.

Online[edit]

TheBlaze.com
TheBlaze2019.png
show screenshot
TheBlaze Screenshot 20160514.png
Homepage screenshot on 14 May 2016
Type of site
News and opinion
Available inEnglish
OwnerMercury Radio Arts (Glenn Beck)
EditorLeon Wolf
Websitetheblaze.com
Alexa rankNegative increase 6,642 (December 2018)[24]
Negative increase 1,563 United States (December 2018)[24]
CommercialYes
LaunchedAugust 26, 2010
Current statusActive

TheBlaze website launched on August 26, 2010. According to Beck, the site took two months to design.[7] 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 TheBlaze later included S. E. Cupp and David Harsanyi.

On its opening morning, the site featured advertisements for Dick Armey's new book and for Goldline International,[7] 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.[25] 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."[26]

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.[27]

In March 2011, the site was noted for its critique of James O'Keefe's NPR sting video.[28]

Visits to the website declined from 21.5 million unique visitors in March 2014 to 8 million in February 2017.[29]

Books[edit]

Mercury Ink is a co-publishing deal with Simon & Schuster and was founded by Glenn Beck in 2011 as the publishing imprint of Mercury Radio Arts.[30] 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.

Magazine[edit]

TheBlaze (entitled Fusion prior to September 2012) was a monthly news magazine published by Mercury Radio Arts and TheBlaze in New York City and circulated throughout the United States. Its former title, Fusion, was taken from Beck's talk radio program's slogan, "The Fusion of Entertainment and Enlightenment." The editor-in-chief was Scott Baker.[31] The magazine was sixteen pages and was published monthly except for February and August. It was available digitally and in print.[32] The last edition of TheBlaze magazine was published in April 2015.

References[edit]

  1. ^ https://deadline.com/2018/12/theblaze-crtv-merge-blaze-media-glenn-beck-mark-levin-1202512715/
  2. ^ Matt DeLong, Glenn Beck launches conservative news site The Blaze, Washington Post ( August 31, 2010).
  3. ^ Sydney Ember, Sinclair Deal Draws Unlikely Opponent: Conservative News Media, New York Times (August 8, 2017).
  4. ^ https://www.theblaze.com/blazetv-cable-satellite-providers
  5. ^ Leibovich, Mark (September 29, 2010). "Being Glenn Beck". New York Times Magazine.
  6. ^ Rose, Lacey (August 30, 2010). "Glenn Beck's $35 Million Empire Adds A News Site". Forbes Blogs: Moneywood.
  7. ^ a b c Barr, Andy (August 31, 2010). "Glenn Beck launches news site". POLITICO. Retrieved August 31, 2010.
  8. ^ Rose, Lacey (August 31, 2010). "Glenn Beck's $35 Million Empire Adds A News Site". Forbes. Retrieved August 31, 2010.
  9. ^ Amy Holmes Joins Glenn Beck's GBTV Network As Anchor, Huffington Post, August 9, 2011
  10. ^ "Glenn Beck drops his name from Web network, promises media 'revolution' – CNN.com". CNN. June 18, 2012. Retrieved September 1, 2013.
  11. ^ Morgenstern, Madeleine (March 28, 2013). "TheBlaze TV Launching on 4 More Cable Operators". TheBlaze. Retrieved March 28, 2013.
  12. ^ Adams, Becket (May 1, 2013). "TheBlaze Extends Its Reach, Announces TV Deal with Tri State Cable Provider". TheBlaze. Retrieved May 1, 2013.
  13. ^ "Betsy Morgan, CEO of Glenn Beck's The Blaze, Steps Down". www.adweek.com. Retrieved 2016-05-30.
  14. ^ "Glenn Beck New Blaze CEO".
  15. ^ "Glenn Beck Wants to Host a GOP Debate and Bill O'Reilly Hopes They Let Him %%". Politicus USA. 2015-11-03. Retrieved 2018-01-30.
  16. ^ Central, Election (October 14, 2014). "Republican Debate Schedule (2016 Primary Debates)". Retrieved June 20, 2018.
  17. ^ 09.01.17 12:00 AM ET. "After Mass Layoffs, Can Glenn Beck Still Save 'The Blaze'?". Thedailybeast.com. Retrieved 2017-09-07.
  18. ^ Concha, Joe (December 28, 2019) "BlazeTV dropped from Verizon Fios" The Hill
  19. ^ "TheBlaze and CRTV Merge to Create Conservative Media Powerhouse (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2018-12-04.
  20. ^ Bowden, John (December 8, 2018) "BlazeTV breaks off relationship with founder of the Proud Boys" The Hill
  21. ^ Stelloh, Tim (December 9, 2018) "'Proud Boys' founder Gavin McInnes out at Blaze Media" NBC News
  22. ^ https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/glenn-beck-mark-levin-create-conservative-media-powerhouse-1165665
  23. ^ "Jobs". October 30, 2016.
  24. ^ a b "Theblaze.com Site Info". Alexa Internet. Retrieved December 26, 2018.
  25. ^ DeLong, Matt (August 31, 2010). "Glenn Beck launches conservative news site TheBlaze.com". Washington Post. Retrieved August 31, 2010.
  26. ^ 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.
  27. ^ Lang, Brent (January 5, 2011). "Glenn Beck Hires HuffPo's Morgan for His Fledgling Website". The Wrap.
  28. ^ "Analysts, NPR: Video edit of executive misleading". Associated Press. March 14, 2011.
  29. ^ Barrabi, Thomas (27 March 2017). "Will Tomi Lahren's Apparent Firing from TheBlaze Burn Glenn Beck's Brand?". Fox News. Retrieved 3 April 2017.
  30. ^ "Glenn Beck Re-Ups with S&S; Launches New Imprint". PublishersWeekly.com. Retrieved 2016-12-30.
  31. ^ "Scott Baker". TheBlaze.com. Retrieved 2016-02-27.
  32. ^ "FAQ". Archived from the original on November 14, 2014. Retrieved December 3, 2014.

External links[edit]

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Blaze_Media&oldid=882815734"