April 7, 2011, Greencastle, Ind. — An article in today's Los Angeles Times detailing the decision by Fox News Channel to discontinue Glenn Beck's daily program includes analysis from Jeff McCall, professor of communication at DePauw University. Of the once-popular show, Scott Collins and Melissa Maerz note, "ratings plummeted and advertisers bailed as Beck -- a cherubic,
salt-and-pepper-haired longtime radio host who has compared himself to
a rodeo clown -- increasingly pursued a hard-to-follow agenda that many
found too conspiracy-minded. He also chafed his bosses at Fox News, who
faulted him for spending too much time on his far-flung business
operations and not enough on honing his TV presentation."
"His show had become tired," Dr. McCall tells the Times. "He was spending a lot of time just
talking in front of his blackboard. Guests were less frequently involved. The ratings drop was significant and couldn't be
ignored. The advertiser boycott didn't hurt the
program or FNC as much in terms of dollars as it did in terms of bad
publicity. Beck was no longer just a personality with a show on FNC. He
became an easy target for Fox News critics to characterize him as
representative of the entire channel."
Fox executive say Beck will "transition off" of the show, but did not specify how long the program will continue other than to say it will stop airing later this year.
Access the complete story at the newspaper's website.
Professor McCall will host a live chat on the Beck-Fox issue at 2 o'clock this afternoon at the Washington Post's website.
Jeffrey M. McCall is a 1976 graduate of DePauw and authored the book, of Viewer Discretion Advised: Taking Control of Mass Media Influences . He is frequently called upon by major media outlets to discuss media matters and has been cited in articles published by more than 100 newspapers. Earlier this week, he discussed reports Katie Couric will be stepping aside from anchoring the CBS Evening News in a Christian Science Monitor article. A member of the DePauw faculty since 1985, McCall also serves as faculty adviser for student radio station WGRE.