 Based
in New York City, Glenn Beck is casting a tall shadow
as the next phenomenon of talk radio. The former
Top 40 DJ entered the talk format in 2001 and already
his show is broadcast nearly 200 stations nationwide.
Millions of listeners are drawn to this modern-day
story teller who is armed with a quick wit, an informed
opinion, and a unique ability to inspire others
to experience their full potential with an open
heart. His on-air presence is both commanding and
inviting – a trait he has been refining for
the last 27 years.
Glenn
started in radio when he was only 13 years old by
winning a local radio contest to be a DJ for an
hour. Soon after that auspicious day, Glenn had
three jobs – one at a Christian station, a
Rock station, and a Country station – all
of which his parents had to schlep him to in their
home state of Washington. He was fired from all
three jobs – on the same day when he was 14
years old!
After
high school graduation, Glenn pursued his career
as a Top 40 DJ at stations all over the country.
Eventually, he landed an opportunity in Corpus Christi,
Texas, as the youngest morning guy in the U.S. at
18 years old. His career was soaring and took him
to Top 40 morning shows in Baltimore, Houston, Phoenix,
Washington, and New Haven, Conn. He rode the wave
of professional success into the 1990s when things
began to change. Today, Glenn points out, “When
you have that kind of success that early in life,
it’s easy for you to turn into a monster.
And I did! I was not a good guy.”
At the
age of 30, Glenn lost his passion for radio –
and everything else – as alcoholism and drug
addiction took him over. Struggling to find some
answers to his problem, Glenn pursued higher education.
Though he was accepted by Yale as a Theology major,
he lasted only one semester, faced with a divorce
from his first wife and separation from his two
daughters – the oldest with Cerebral Palsy.
He was emotionally and financially decimated and
relegated to one of the smallest radio markets.
The shooting radio star had fallen to earth.
Finally,
he turned to a program of recovery.
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Damian
& Gabie Maldonado with Glenn Beck |
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An Inconvenient Book: Real Solutions
to the World's Biggest Problems (Hardcover)
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Coming
to terms with his past and staying sober
shifted his life direction. He found a new
love (his second wife, Tania), religion
(he was baptized Mormon in 2000), and a
new vision of his career – he would
pursue talk radio.
Soon
after his baptism, Glenn received a call
from an agent who was interested in representing
him. Days later, he had an offer to host
his own talk radio show on WFLA-AM in Tampa,
Florida, forcing him to move away from his
daughters in New Haven. He and Tania decided
to live in Tampa for two years and then,
whether Glenn succeeded or failed, they
would move closer to his girls.
He
inherited the 18th placed position at WFLA-AM
and took it to the #1 position in his first
year, giving the station its highest ratings
ever. Within 18 months, Premiere Radio Networks,
the leading radio syndication company in
the country, offered Glenn the opportunity
to go national. In January 2002, The Glenn
Beck Program launched on 47 stations.
He
also kept his promise to his daughters and
moved the national show to Philadelphia.
The Glenn Beck Program, which airs weekdays
from 9 a.m. to noon ET, is now ranked as
the 3rd most listened to talk show in America
among Adults 25-54.
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