Gold Firms Have Long History Of Buying Ads On Beck's Shows

Gold Sellers Advertised On Fox News' Glenn Beck In 2009. Among the precious-metals sellers advertising on Beck's Fox News show in November 2009 were Rosland Capital, Goldline International, Merit Financial, Investment Rarities Incorporated, Wholesale Direct Metals, and Superior Gold Group. [Media Matters, 12/2/09]

Beck Shilled For Gold Without Disclosing His Status As “Paid Spokesman” For Goldline. While Beck suggested on his Fox News show that viewers could “protect yourself” from “the end of the almighty dollar” and possible hyperinflation by purchasing gold [Think Progress, 10/6/09], Goldline International was describing Beck as a “Paid Spokesman” for the company and itself as "[e]xclusive precious metals sponsor of the Glenn Beck radio show." [Media Matters, 12/2/09] In a video Beck made for Goldline, Beck invoked the Founding Fathers, saying that a letter exchange between Thomas Jefferson and John Adams discussed “what the future of America was going to be like and how bright it was going to be. And then it was going to shake apart and there would be troubled times, but then it would reset itself and it would be great again. But I'd like a little bit of insurance. That's why I want to talk to you a little bit about Goldline.” [Goldline International, accessed 6/27/11] Goldline later stopped referring to Beck as a “paid spokesman” after Fox News, which says it has a policy of prohibiting on-air talent from endorsing products or services, asked Beck to clarify his relationship with Goldline. [Politico, 12/17/09]

Gold Firms Continue To Advertise On Beck's Fox Show, Other Advertisers Flee

Advertisers In Final Month Include Several From 2009 List. The following precious-metals investment firms have advertised in June 2011, the final month of Beck's Fox News show, according to daily advertiser listings published by Media Matters:

• Goldline International
• Rosland Capital
• Merit Financial
• Lear Capital
• Discount Gold Brokers
• ITM Trading
• Wholesale Direct Metals
• United Rare Coins & Precious Metals

[Media Matters, accessed 6/28/11]

Meanwhile, More Than 300 Advertisers Fled Beck's Show. At least 300 advertisers have dropped their ads from Glenn Beck's Fox News program since he called President Obama a “racist” who has a “deep-seated hatred for white people.” [StopBeck.com, accessed 6/27/11]

Goldline Still Touts Beck Connection. The front page of Goldline's website carries a picture of Beck with a link to an interview Beck conducted with Goldline executive chairman Mark Albarian:

[Goldline.com, accessed 6/28/11]

“Testimonial” Page Links Beck To Goldline “CREDIBILITY.” A “testimonial” page on the Goldline website states that Goldline is “recommended by Glenn Beck” and that Beck's radio show is “sponsored by Goldline.” The page also includes a graphic stating, “CREDIBILITY: Find out why Glenn Beck, Mark Levin, Laura Ingraham and more recommend Gold from Goldline.”

[Goldline.com, accessed 6/28/11]

Beck Fought Investigation Into Goldline By Ridiculing Congressman

Rep. Weiner: Beck Drove “False Narrative” Designed To Sell Gold. In May 2010, then-Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-NY) released a report accusing Goldline of overcharging customers and forming an “unholy alliance” with Beck, as well as other conservative pundits. The report described a “false narrative” in which, according to Beck, “the U.S. money supply is destined for hyperinflation with Barack Obama as president. He [Beck] will often promote the purchase of gold as the only safe investment alternative for consumers who want to safeguard their livelihoods. When the show then cuts to commercial break, viewers are treated to an advertisement from Goldline.” ["As Seen on TV: An Investigation of Goldline International," 5/17/10, retrieved 6/28/11]

Beck Mocked Weiner With Website, Hot Dog Eating. On his radio show, Beck asked his listeners to send him “pictures of Congressman Weiner with his nose as a weiner,” adding, “I'd like pictures of Congressman Weiner in front of the Wienermobile in front of his house with a wiener dog and, you know, his little wiener children.” [Premiere Radio Networks, The Glenn Beck Program, 5/19/10] Beck then launched the website WeinerFacts.com, which attacked Weiner amid photos of hot dogs. [WeinerFacts.com, accessed 6/28/11]. Beck said he launched the website because “I've decided I'm not going to waste my precious airtime” responding to Weiner's accusations. [Fox News, Glenn Beck, 5/19/10] In an appearance on The O'Reilly Factor, Beck ate a hot dog while discussing Weiner and Goldline. [Fox News, The O'Reilly Factor, 5/21/10]

Beck Also Played The Victim, Called Investigation An Attempt To “Shut Me Down.” Beck said on his radio show that Weiner's investigation was “another arm of this administration coming out to try to shut me down.” Beck added: “You want to talk about the McCarthy era? Look at what this country is becoming. Is there anyone, anyone that has the courage to stand up against these monsters?” [Premiere Radio Networks, The Glenn Beck Program, 5/18/10] Beck said that “a congressman launched an attack on me today. I think it's like an investigation. ... They are attacking every which way they can.” [Fox News, Glenn Beck, 5/18/10] Beck said of Weiner's investigation: “They take a knife, jab it into your chest, and then move away, then come back and jab it someplace else, and move away.” [Premiere Radio Networks, The Glenn Beck Program, 6/25/10] Beck said of Goldline: “And, for political reasons they were smeared ... because they were standing with me.” [Premiere Radio Networks, The Glenn Beck Program, 8/31/10]

Beck Responded To Criticism Of His Gold-Shilling With More Gold-Shilling. Beck also touted how “we've already crashed the WeinerFacts.com server,” then said that “Weiners say” that gold is overpriced, while “non-Weiners point out inflation matters” because the then-current price of gold was below historic highs when adjusted for inflation. Beck added: “Congressman Weiner, under the guise of attacking me, is not really attacking me. He's trying to put blinders on this society.” [Fox News, Glenn Beck, 5/19/10]

Beck Regularly Promoted Virtues Of Gold Ownership On Fox

Beck: Buying Gold Is A Way To “Be Prepared.” From the April 20 edition of Beck's show:

BECK: Bill Gross, the manager of the world's largest mutual fund, said the dollar is in danger of losing 20 percent of its value if the Fed continues with quantitative easing. Now, I haven't believed them for a long time, OK? That's why I went out, I bought this -- gold coin. It's an ounce. When I bought it, it was $670 for this one coin. Put it away. This $670 today broke another record -- $1,505. Is that better or worse? I purchased this silver at $15 just around the holidays $15 for an ounce. It's now $44. Now, let me just show you. Here's the difference. Remember, this, 670, now 1,550 -- or, sorry, 1,505. This, $15, and now 44. This, when I worked for this -- I worked for this just like you did -- when I worked for this, it was worth a dollar. It's now worth 80 cents. Which -- this is everybody's fine, and this is be prepared. Which one do you end up with in the end? Which one leaves you with anything? Be prepared for the world to change. Joe, could you please -- these makes me nervous. Could you please put these -- give these to the guy with a gun, go put them in the bank? [Fox News, Glenn Beck, 4/20/11]

Beck: “I Wonder If The Weiner Man Will Investigate Himself For Ripping Off Americans That Should Have Bought Gold.” From the April 19 edition of Beck's show:

BECK: Of course, critics called me a fearmonger. I'm so used to that now, I don't know what I'll do when people don't call me a fearmonger anymore and just start calling me right. They said that I was just saying these things to drive up the price of gold. God forbid anybody on television or radio or anything says anything that's actually real. God forbid anybody actually believes anything in this godforsaken business. Gold doesn't need my help. The federal government's doing a bang-up job all on their own driving up the demand and price of gold. Oh, yeah, no they're doing a good job, and a whiffle ball game may break out at any time. It didn't take a genius to see it coming. You just had to not look at the playgrounds and worry about dodgeball, and actually keep your eye on the real ball, the federal government spending way more money than it takes in. Repeat the cycle for nearly a century, eventually the dollar is worthless, and gold skyrockets. Then the gold standard -- oh, my gosh, gold standard, it's like gold standard is real gold. Wow, it's been like that since, I don't know, Moses.

Did anyone notice that gold hit $1,500 today? It's funny because I remember when I first started talking about gold, it was $670. All the experts said, “Glenn, it can't possibly go any higher than that.” Then it kept going up and up and up until it reached about $1,000. The experts said, “OK, it can't go up possibly more than a thousand. That's crazy.” Then it went up and up. On July 20, last summer, Congressman Weiner launched a formal investigation. That's when gold was at $1,189 an ounce. He had to do an investigation on one of my sponsors, completely unmotivated by any kind of politics. No, that wasn't using the federal tax dollars or the system to target poiltical opponents, no, uh-uh. That was an honest look at how I was ripping people off by saying that you should buy gold, because gold can't possibly go higher than that. Whoopsie. I wonder if the Weiner man will investigate himself for ripping off Americans that should have bought gold.

By the way, silver is continuing to climb as well. And what are they doing? Nothing. They are borrowing in Washington $188 million every hour -- borrowing $188 million every hour. I just showed you how quickly the national debt grows. Can anyone explain this? No, the horse is not behind us. Food and gas will not be less expensive. Your retirement is safe, spending in Washington is under control. This one -- there are things you can do to protect yourself, but Weiner said no. [Fox News, Glenn Beck, 4/19/11]

Beck: One Of The “Tipping Points” For Size Of Government Was When U.S. “Went Off The Gold Standard.” From the October 27, 2010, edition of Beck's show:

BECK: Look at the size of the government from 1900 to 2000. Has it gotten bigger or smaller? Oh, sure, it's been Republicans and Democrats back and forth, sure. But let's look at it over 100 years. Have the progressives grown the size of the government? What was the tipping point? Well, the tipping point, really -- there was one in the 1970s when we went off the gold standard, then the late 1990s when the Fed started just creating bubble after bubble after bubble because we had to continue to spend. [Fox News, Glenn Beck, 10/27/10]

Beck Touts Gold After Warning That Soros Is “Betting Against America.” After noting that George Soros called for a “managed decline of the dollar” and saying, “My guess is, spooky dude -- betting against America soon,” Beck highlighted a $50 gold coin he said could “buy two good suits” with the value of the gold in it. He continued: “Maybe in another 40 years, I could still buy two good suits with this coin, but I don't know how many suits I could buy with a dollar or $50 or $1,500.” [Fox News, Glenn Beck, 10/18/10]

Beck: Gold Is The Door Frame To Stand In During Economic Earthquake. Beck unveiled an “economic terror alert system” in which “the red one ... would be gold.” He then walked through a gold doorway that he called “a door frame into insanity” because “you have to stand in the doorway” during an earthquake and “economically speaking, that has always been gold. It is -- It is the refuge and the safety net from inflation.” [Fox News, Glenn Beck, 9/1/10]

Beck: “I Don't Buy Gold As An Investment. ... I Buy It As Insurance.” From Glenn Beck:

BECK: They bashed me for doing radio commercials on my show for gold then gold was $800 an ounce, and they were saying, “Oh, Glenn Beck is duping everybody. They're going to lose their money.” Really? It's now over $1,200 an ounce. That's today. And they're now saying yesterday that it could go up to $1,500 by the end of the year. Now, why would gold be going up, and historically, is that a big number? Well, first of all, all the liberal bloggers who have just put their Cheetos down because they're like, “Oh, are you kidding me? He's talking about gold. I gotta write a blog on that.” I say even on my radio program that I don't buy gold as an investment. I -- it's insane. It's insane to buy gold. I buy it as insurance. [Fox News, Glenn Beck, 9/1/10]

Beck: Gold Sellers Are “Your Pathway To Acquire Anything Of Value As They Filet Our Currency.” Beck called the gold industry “your pathway to acquire anything of value as they filet our currency.” Beck claimed that Weiner, through his investigation, was “trying to make sure you don't mistakenly spend your money the way you want to because you might be stupid.” [Fox News, Glenn Beck, 7/22/10]