Firebrand Glenn Beck Soon To Be On-Air History at Fox

The official story is, Fox News' conservative firebreather Glenn Beck will "transition off his daily program" later this year into something else for the network -- something vaguely described as "digital platforms."

But head of Fox News Roger Ailes told Associated Press Wednesday, "Half of the headlines say he's been canceled, the other half say he quit. We're pretty happy with both of them."

Ailes never said it, but other big-name conservative pundits on Fox, who once cheered Beck's rising star, claim now that he's become so erratic, such a loose cannon during his network run, that he's scared off big advertisers.

Beck's ratings are in decline. Ailes said he believes "the act" just ran its course. "That story of whats going on and why America is in trouble today, I think he told that story as well as could be told. Whether you can just keep telling that story or not were not so sure.

Fox News reports, "Beck's program has averaged more than 2.2 million total viewers and 563,000 viewers between the ages of 25 to 54. ... And while his ratings remain strong for his 5 p.m. time slot, the show has been losing viewers recently."

Behind the scenes, meanwhile, Beck is telling colleagues that Sarah Palin stole his thunder. He was reported as saying, "My ratings were fine till she came along. She has her eye on my time slot."

Insists Ailes, "Glenn's ratings were not the issue."

The former Alaska governor made her debut on Fox in January as an analyst. "All the bosses (at Fox) love her," Beck has said.

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