CNN's Beck Tries To Preempt Critics
By John Eggerton -- Broadcasting & Cable, 5/8/2006 8:09:00 AM
New CNN Headline News host Glenn Beck is already asking his fans to guess when his show will be canceled, and it doesn't even debut until Monday night.
The subject of an e-mail campaign from the left, the conservative talker is launching one of his own.
Beck's Web site, glennbeck.com, has a link to an online form that lets surfers guess when his talk show--weeknights, 7 and 9 p.m., starting May 8--will be off the air. His own staff gives it "three weeks," according to some streamed behind-the-scenes video also linked to Beck's Web site.
Though the behind-the-scenes video and "canceled" Web link are clearly a joke, that did not stop Media Matters for America from citing the site as though Beck were seriously predicting his own demise.
Beck's new show, which hasn't aired yet, has been hammered by mediamatters.org, which monitors the media for conservative bias. It criticized CNN for the decision to launch the show, then last week, it sent out an e-mail detailing some of the radio host's more outrageous comments.
"When Will the TV Show Get Cancelled: Let Glenn know when you think he'll be off the air," says Beck's home page.
The e-mail form, with tongue planted firmly in cheek, reads as follows:
"Cancelled!
"Glenn Beck staffers each have their own thoughts on how long the TV show will last.... Now we want to hear from you! Use this page to predict the exact date that you think the TV show will be cancelled. This is not a contest, and there are absolutely no prizes, because when --er, sorry, that's if the show is cancelled, we won't have any money for prizes.
"Your email address will not be used for spam or unsolicited email, however we do reserve the right to publicly ridicule you if your prediction turns out to be incorrect. If your prediction turns out to be correct then you can reserve the right to ridicule us."
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