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Glenn Beck
Glenn Beck title card
Format	Talk show
Starring	Glenn Beck Brian Sack (every two weeks)
Country of origin	United States
Production
Running time	60 minutes
Broadcast
Original channel	CNN Headline News
Original run	May 8, 2006 – Present
External links
Official website
IMDb profile
TV.com summary

Glenn Beck is an American cable-news show hosted by conservative commentator Glenn Beck on Headline News.

Since its inception in 2006, Glenn Beck has become the fastest-growing show in cable news.

Contents 1 Overview 2 Special Programs 2.1 Exposed: The Extremist Agenda 2.2 Exposed: The Climate of Fear 3 Al Sharpton interview 4 Criticism 5 See also 6 References

Each broadcast usually begins with a brief, scripted monologue by Beck, in which he gives his analysis of the top story of the day. This is followed by an interview with a correspondent who continues the discussion with their opinions on the matter.

Mr. Beck occasionally airs full-hour interviews. Interviewed people include Ron Paul, Al Sharpton, Janice Dickinson, Larry King, Nancy Grace, and others.

Special programming includes Exposed: The Extremist Agenda, Exposed: The Climate of Fear, and a weeklong series titled America's Addiction, about pornography. These programs don't tend to include the usual humor and sarcasm used in Beck's shows, presumably due to the largely serious nature of the content of these programs.

The Extremist Agenda, aired in November 2006, which overviewed terrorism in the Middle East.

The May 2, 2007 edition of his Glenn Beck on Headline News was a "special report" entitled, "Exposed: The Climate of Fear". In his opening remarks, Beck said, "Welcome to exposed, the climate of fear. I want you to know right up front, this is not a balanced look at global warming. It is the other side of the climate debate that you don't hear anywhere. Yes, Al Gore, there is another credible side."^[1]

On May 10, 2007, Beck interviewed Al Sharpton regarding his comments about Mitt Romney and Mormonism.

Sharpton had said, "As for the one running -- the one Mormon running for office, those that really believe in God will defeat him anyway. So don't worry about that."

This statement has been criticized as suggesting that members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Mormons) do not believe in God. Sharpton claimed that his comment should be viewed as a retort to Christopher Hitchens, a self-proclaimed atheist, in a debate.^[2]

Later in the interview, Sharpton said ""What I said was that we would defeat him, meaning as a Republican. A Mormon, by definition, believes in God. They don't believe in God the way I do, but by definition, they believe in God."^[2]

When asked about past Mormon Church racism by Paula Zahn, Sharpton said the following in reference to the fact that, prior to a 1978 proclamation, Blacks were baptised as members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, but not ordained to the Priesthood prior to 1978, "I think that that's by self definition. If prior to `65, `78, whenever it was, they did not see blacks as equal, I do not believe that as real worshippers of God, because I do not believe God distinguishes between people. That's not bigotry. That's responding to their bigotry."^[3]

Beck began this broadcast with the following:

"Tonight, the tables are turned. Al Sharpton in the hot seat. Will he apologize for his controversial remark about Mormons?"^[3]

During the interview, Beck drew a comparison between Sharpton's comments and Don Imus's racially charged comments against the Rutgers University women's basketball team. Sharpton led the charge to get Don Imus fired. Imus was eventually fired from both his television show and his radio show for his statements. Sharpton rejected Beck's comparison, seeing no bigotry in his own comments:

"There are some -- let me put this -- let's get straight to the point, Glenn. There are some in the Christian faith that do not accept Mormons as Christians or as believers. I am not one of them. If I wanted to cop out, I could say, "I have a religious disagreement.

I do not think me or anyone else has the right to determine who are believers. I do not have any -- think anyone has the right to, in any way, discriminate against one's decision how they approach God. Which is why I said, on my radio show today, that to Mormons, this is not my intention to have said anything against Mormons. As I explained to you, I was talking about atheists."^[3]

Sharpton claimed that it is permissible for one to question an individual's religion's past doctrines to determine if those former practices have any impact on the person's philosophy and decision making process today. Sharpton stated out that Mormons, at one time, failed to allow minorities to fully participate in their religion as well as called attention to Mitt Romney's past use of the term "tar baby." Beck countered that former practices of any religion should be left in the past. Sharpton acknowledged that he still needed to learn more about the Mormon religion and would have an opportunity to meet with Mormon leaders Henry B. Eyring and Russell M. Nelson in the coming weeks.

Sharpton also called for more dialogue between religious leaders of different faiths. Sharpton said that while there are still groups of religions that did not recognize Mormons as Christians, that was not his personal view. Beck replied that Sharpton was skilled in shifting the conversation from himself and focusing on others. Beck admitted before airing the Sharpton interview that it was one of the most difficult interviews that he had ever done. More than likely, this was because the subject matter of the discussion was "deeply personal" for him. ^[4]

Beck once stated, on live television, that "there is nothing better than looking at a hot, naked chick," which was lashed at by critics across the country.^{[citation needed]} He later remarked, in an interview, that he "got in bad trouble for that" and "regretted it".^{[citation needed]}

• Glenn Beck
• Glenn Beck Program (radio)

1. ^ Transcript of Exposed: The Climate of Fear
2. ^ ^{a b} Sharpton accused of 'bigotry' after remark on faith, CNN.com, May 9 2007
3. ^ ^{a b c} CNN Transcript of Beck show, May 10 2007
4. ^ Sharpton on Glenn Beck show