Dish Network to begin televising radio talk show host Glenn Beck's online network

The Associated Press
September 12, 2012 at 1:27PM
Conservative Christian TV commentator Glenn Beck speaks during a rally in Jerusalem's Old City, Wednesday, Aug. 24, 2011. Beck capped a contentious visit to Israel Wednesday with a rally in the Old City of Jerusalem, adjacent to the disputed holy compound known to Jews as Temple Mount and to Muslims as the Noble Sanctuary. Hundreds of supporters, including Israeli politicians, were on hand to hear the eccentric former Fox TV star in the final leg of his "Restoring Courage" tour of the Holy Land.
Conservative Christian TV commentator Glenn Beck speaks during a rally in Jerusalem's Old City, Wednesday, Aug. 24, 2011. (Associated Press - Ap/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. - Dish Network said Wednesday that it will begin carrying TheBlaze, conservative radio talk show host Glenn Beck's online network.

Financial terms were not disclosed.

TheBlaze was launched a year ago as GBTV. It will be available to Dish subscribers as part of its America's Top 250 package or a la carte for $5 a month, Dish said.

The satellite TV provider said the addition of Beck's network boosts its lineup of news and commentary channels ahead of November's presidential election. Dish carries a variety of such channels including MSNBC, BBC America, CNN, Current and FOX News.

Beck's channel was set to launch on Dish at 5 p.m. EDT Wednesday and customers can order a la carte starting Thursday. TheBlaze will be available as a free preview for all Dish customers through Sept. 26, Dish said.

TheBlaze will continue to be available through its online subscription platform as TheBlaze TV on TheBlaze.com and various Internet-connected devices.

The deal marks Beck's return to TV. He left Fox News Channel in June 2011 after his show's audience size shrank and advertisers staged a boycott.

Beck's radio show currently attracts more than 8 million listeners per week, trailing only Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity and Michael Savage, according to Talkers, a magazine for the talk-show business.

Englewood, Colo.-based Dish is the nation's third-largest provider of TV signals behind Comcast Corp. and DirecTV with about 14 million subscribers.

Shares of Dish Network Corp. shares finished at $32.56 on Tuesday. They are 9 percent below their 52-week high of $35.64 set in late March. They traded as low as $22.61 in October 2011.

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