Thanks to @vankula for the featured photo on this post

Glenn spoke to the Ad Age Media Evolved conference in Manhattan this afternoon, and shockingly the media elite in NYC was very responsive to his vision about the future of television and digital media.

The Hollywood Reporter explains:



"I don't consider [ourselves] a digital company," Beck told the conference though. "I consider ourselves more a story telling company and a content company. The way we deliver it is secondary."

But he emphasized that focusing on traditional media delivery would have kept him from helping pioneer new models. "We are on the verge of revolution" that is as profound as the Industrial Revolution was, but will happen much faster, Beck said. "We'll find out soon whether we're too early or not."

His estimate was that his focus on a new type of media empire may be three to five years ahead of its time. But following a tipping point in the media industry, "delivery as you want it" will become the standard, he predicted. 

The revolution that is in the works "is all about the individual," he added. "It is so close to the American Revolution. It's about you."

He told his audience that as a result, in the future, no media executive would get to tell consumers which show is on or off. "The days of 500 sat channels [are] over," Beck said. "You have to know exactly who you are" and who your audience is. After all, people these days look for myriad opinions on different sites where they know what to expect.

When it came to advertisers, THR reported,"(Beck's) advice to marketers is to not discriminate between the political left and right or other distinctions. "Respect the end user[s] even if you don't agree with them," he said.

Even fans (and non-fans) on Twitter had positive feedback on Glenn's talk:

Even this guy, who doesn't agree with Glenn, found his speech 'mesmerizing' (we think it's a compliment):