Glenn Beck

Glenn Beck was born on February 10, 1964. He won a contest that landed him a radio broadcast job at the age of 13 in his hometown of Mt. Vernon, Washington. After high school, Beck moved to Provo, Utah to work as a disc jockey. This was the first of 8 moves across the country to work for 8 different stations in 10 years. During this time, he developed substance abuse issues with both drugs and alcohol, which he claims to have overcome with help from AA in 1994.

In 1992, Beck landed in Hamden, Connecticut at WKCI-FM (KC101), a Top 40 radio station. In 1995, during the morning show he hosted with his partner, a taped comedy skit aired on the show which featured a character with fake Chinese accent. When an Asian-American listener called in to complain, Beck and his partner made fun of them on the air and played gongs in the background. A protest was mounted that resulted in an on air apology from the station manager and sensitivity training for the staff. In 1999, Beck was told that his contract would not be renewed.

In 1996, while living in Connecticut, Beck was admitted to Yale University through a special program for non-traditional students after being recommended for the program by Senator Joe Lieberman, among others. Beck dropped out after one class.

In 2000, Beck moved to Tampa, Florida and started The Glenn Beck Program, which was picked up and launched nationwide in 2002. Within 6 years of his nationwide launch, six and a half million listeners were tuning in from over 280 radio stations as well as XM Satellite Radio.

Beck considers himself a libertarian; a conservative that fights for individual rights. He is also a conspiracy theorist and has suggested that President Obama has a socialist agenda and is trying to indoctrinate American schoolchildren.

Beck is an admirer of W. Cleon Skousen, an anti-communist and limited government conservative who felt that the Constitution was inspired by God and the reason behind America s success as a nation. Beck recommends his books as ‘required reading’ and has written a foreword for the 2008 edition of Skousen s book The 5,000 Year Leap. Beck refers to the writer as ‘divinely inspired.’

In January 2006, Beck began hosting a nightly show, Glenn Beck, on CNN’s Headline News. In October of 2008, he jumped to Fox News, where his show appears on both weeknights as well as in a weekend edition. He can also be seen every Friday night on The O Reilly Factor in a segment entitled At Your Beck and Call.

In addition to his radio and TV shows, Beck publishes Fusion Magazine and has written several books: The Real America: Messages from the Heart and Heartland (2005), An Inconvenient Book (2007), The Christmas Sweater (fiction-2008), America’s March to Socialism: Why We’re One Step Closer to Giant Missile Parades (2009), Glenn Beck’s Common Sense: The Case Against an Out-Of-Control Government, Inspired by Thomas Paine (2009), and Arguing with Idiots: How to Stop Small Minds and Big Government (2009). He also stars in a one-man stage show that tours the US twice a year.