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UPDATED: Glenn Beck has lost 1/3 of its TV audience since January

April 28, 2010 12:05 pm ET by Eric Boehlert

Interesting. New April ratings data released today confirm my claim about Beck's audience decline: 

Interestingly, for the first time since he debuted on Fox News, Glenn Beck did not grow year-over-year: in fact, his show was down 7% in total viewers and 6% in the demo.

Think about that: Beck's ratings are down from April of 2009, from before the emergence of the Tea Party movement. Meaning, the Tea Partiers haven't boosted Beck's audience at all. 

Ouch. 

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    • Author by bintx (April 28, 2010 12:15 pm ET)
      5  
      Paranoia, hate and fake "history" doesn't sell well for very long.
      Report Abuse
    • Author by walstib (April 28, 2010 12:26 pm ET)
      4  
      HA HA!!
      Report Abuse
    • Author by Tbone Slickens (April 28, 2010 12:31 pm ET)
        9
      Which goes to prove that the Tea Party movement was never in bed with Beck to start with as mmfA has tried in vain to link them. Maybe Beck has co-opted their movement?
      Report Abuse
      • Author by New Frontier (April 28, 2010 12:45 pm ET)
        10  
        mmfA has tried in vain to link them.
        You don't get tired of failing, do you?

        May 1, 2009: the Glenn Beck Show hosts a live TV audience. Of Tea Partiers.

        BECK: "When I first heard of the Tea Party, I didn't think much of them. But they were misunderstood. The majority of the Tea Partiers are regular Americans who love their country. That's not the view of the media."

        Oh there's lots more.

        Glenn Beck Tax Day Tea Party!!
        Report Abuse
      • Author by skiploader1111 (April 28, 2010 1:02 pm ET)
        6  
        What you are saying is that Beck's failure is proof that he is not in bed with the tea party.

        So when Republicans lose in November (again), will it also prove that Fox News only "covered" the tea party movement and never tried to shill for the tea party nor Republicans?
        Report Abuse
      • Author by nerzog (April 28, 2010 1:22 pm ET)
        5  
        Actually, it proves nothing of the kind. It could equally prove that everybody except the Teabaggers is abandoning him. Or, it could prove that the Teabagger movement is losing steam, or that his show just sucks, and even the dimwitted Teabaggers eventually realize it.
        Report Abuse
      • Author by pete592 (April 28, 2010 1:36 pm ET)
        5  
        the Tea Party movement was never in bed with Beck to start with
        Fox News commentator and radio host Glenn Beck walks to a public appearance at a tax day tea party, Wednesday, April 15, 2009, in San Antonio...
        [http://peakaction.files.wordpress.com/2009/04/7684glenn_beck.jpg]
        [http://jdlong.files.wordpress.com/2009/04/glenn-beck-1.jpg?w=321&h=307]

        Oh, one more...
        [http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:-uCkFz6okn_zIM:http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a6/Glenn_Beck_fans_-_Tea_Party_protest.jpg]
        here's the link to the full version..
        Report Abuse
      • Author by ProgLib (April 29, 2010 7:35 am ET)
        2  
        How about all the time in between when the tea partiers showed their love for Beck, watching his show everyday and praising him at their rallies? Did you completely forget about that?
        Report Abuse
    • Author by essbird (April 28, 2010 12:38 pm ET)
      6  
      I can't do this math. How does a 7% decline equate to 1/3 of the audience? Still, it's good news.

      Another piece of good news: Olbermann, between the prime show and the repeat, has 1.8 million viewers, not too far behind Beck. Enough to put a smile on my face.
      Report Abuse
    • Author by MickD (April 28, 2010 12:41 pm ET)
      5  
      Where is the "ratings, ratings, ratings" crowd? That's their prime defense against Fox haters.Probably watching Fox to hopefully boost their tanking numbers.
      Report Abuse
    • Author by txthinker (April 28, 2010 1:47 pm ET)
      3  
      Think about that: Beck's ratings are down from April of 2009, from before the emergence of the Tea Party movement. Meaning, the Tea Partiers haven't boosted Beck's audience at all.
      The teabaggers had the electricity turned off in their single-wides for non-payment.
      Report Abuse
      • Author by pete592 (April 28, 2010 2:24 pm ET)
        4  
        Their hand-cranked radios that they keep next to their guns, gold and crisis garden seeds will ensure they get their daily dose of Beckisms.
        Report Abuse

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  • County Fair is a media blog featuring links to progressive media criticism from around the Web as well as original commentary, breaking news and rapid response updates to major media events from Media Matters senior fellows and other staff.
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