Glenn says not even a house built with ice cream would be as enjoyable as watching the absolute FAILURE of CNN+ — a project that lasted only 32 days despite 300 MILLION DOLLARS backing it (with more pledged money to come). So, to celebrate, Glenn and the guys take a look back at how one CNN anchor ridiculed Glenn’s own streaming service (which currently is breaking records)…plus, hear the hilarious way Glenn ROASTED Brian Stelter when the news broke.
Transcript
Below is a rush transcript that may contain errors
GLENN: This is the Glenn Beck Program. We're so glad that you joined us. Sorry, I apologize for my voice. But it's the allergy season here. And it is worse than I've ever seen, in my life. But, you know, don't worry about it.
Hey. I have a gallon of milk in my refrigerator that's lasted longer than CNN+. It was -- it was canceled. And we found out about it, yesterday.
And then my wife came in, last night. And said, hey. You know the CNN+ has been canceled. And there was just a little joy that I expressed, a little bit of that. A little bit of it, on Twitter last night.
STU: I did notice this. And reading your tweets. They seemed to be specifically targeted to one CNN employee, in particular. For some reason. You say, hey, Brian Stelter, perhaps you can join me on my successful global media streaming service to discuss your company's 300 million-dollar failure.
(laughter)
Oh, man. That's the start.
GLENN: Awesome. That's great.
STU: PS, I won't ambush you. And my statements will be based in fact. So sad for you.
GLENN: Yeah. Well, this comes from the interview that I did. And it's a very popular clip on YouTube, of me walking off of the set for Brian. Because he -- he said, as usual, he really wanted to understand the right. And he really wanted to understand why people were, you know, backing Donald Trump. And, you know, just dismissing the media. That's very dangerous.
STU: It was very important to him. He brought you on. And then, of course, changed the topic of the interview, halfway through.
GLENN: All right. Can we play it?
STU: Yeah.
GLENN: One is arguing justice. One is arguing mercy. Or they say they are. But they're not. All they're doing is playing politics. And the American people are tired of it. Who is talking about an actual solution on this? Who has actually done something? Who has actually been consistent and cared when it was a Democrat in office. And cared when it was a Republican in office.
You know, those people exist around the country. And they're watching you two. The media and Donald Trump playing this little game back and forth. And they're sick of it. They don't want to hear about it, from either side.
BRIAN: I want the critique because I invited you on. I'm self-aware to know that we can talk about this, because I know it's a problem. The mainstream media is having a very hard time. The mainstream media is having a very hard time, reaching Trump's base. That's a fact. We see it in all the polls.
GLENN: Well, then here's the deal, Brian. You all have my phone number. I've reached out to all of you in the past, and said, let's have a conversation, not on the air. You really want to understand? You want to hear the other side?
BRIAN: Why can't our viewers --
GLENN: Because it's all about ratings. Because this is all about ratings. This isn't about ratings. This is about saving our country. Bringing us together. Stop dividing us. I mean, you -- I can't --
BRIAN: So to be clear, you think I'm dividing the country. You think I'm dividing the country for ratings?
GLENN: Stop for a second. Brian, stop driving. Look at -- look at what you're doing. When did this become about you? This is about the media and the administration, that's what you guys want to make it into.
BRIAN: If it was about me, I would do like a 10-minute chalk board the way you just do.
STU: Oh. If it was about me, I would get on a blackboard the way you just do. Look at that. That's a good line.
GLENN: Well, then maybe you should.
BRIAN: I mean, the point is, I'm not making it about me. I don't see how I made it about me.
GLENN: You just said -- never mind.
Look, Brian, if you want to have a conversation, the media really wants to know, great. We can have that conversation. But every time someone -- every time I've approached, everybody always says, yes. But as soon as it gets tough or uncomfortable, nobody is interested. Nobody is interested in looking at themselves. And saying, what did I do?
I know what I've done. I know what I've done. I've tried to make amends. And I've tried --
VOICE: Yes. And we talked about it before. I completely agree with you. And we all do need to be more self-reflective.
I do have to ask you, there's this new headline on the Daily Beast saying, your company is in trouble. They were trying to find the buyer. Is this related to the point about being not talking to each other? That if you want to create that media company, there's not interest? What's going on with that?
(laughter)
GLENN: Wow.
PAT: Wow.
GLENN: Brian, thanks a lot. I think that's the most ridiculous question I've ever heard. I'm sitting here ready to talk to you about the detaining of children and parents and trying to break -- break families apart. Something that has been happening with Janet Reno. That's why it went to the Supreme Court in the first place. With Janet Reno. It's been happening. We want to stop it. And you want to play those games?
Have a nice day.
VOICE: What game did I just play?
STU: That's interesting. Because now, the topic of that interview. And obviously the only reason he had you on. Obviously, you could see the entire time, all he wanted to do, was get to this gotcha question, about your media company failing. It was interesting to me, that he was very concerned about your media company.
Which at the end of the day, my understanding is, it's still on the air. I feel like I do a show for it, every day.
Yeah. And then --
GLENN: TheBlaze is just the largest right of center streaming service. In the world.
STU: Okay. Okay. That's one way. That's one thing. One way to look at it. So that one is still around. And CNN+ lasted not even one month.
GLENN: No, $300 million flushed down the toilet.
STU: $300 million. That's incredible.
PAT: Remember when you invested 300 million into TheBlaze, though? You remember that?
STU: Yeah. You flushed that down the toilet.
GLENN: No. Didn't do that. Didn't do that. That's why there might have been a little glee in my tweets.
STU: I sensed a little glee. Did I mention my streaming service had 300,000 subs, when streaming services didn't yet exist? It was only the Major League Baseball of TheBlaze. That's right.
That was the first couple. That was over ten years ago. I could say that your pompous ass didn't make -- didn't make ten weeks. Didn't bring me joy. But I will leave the lies to you, and CNN. And then you really got -- see, you like the self-reflective nature, that you had in that interview.
You brought back again. And you said, I am sorry, Brian Stelter, for that last tweet. I just lashed out after hearing the news about the biggest media failure of all time. Without thinking about how worried you must be, about your upcoming unemployment situation. Please know, you're in my thoughts.
(laughter)
GLENN: I wanted to say my thoughts and prayers. But I know he dismisses the prayers.
STU: Right. There you go. Okay. Now, this is you again. After rereading the tweets, I see how childish they appear. But after being subjected to your constant lies and the transparent hatchet job you call a career, the epic fail of CNN, makes -- makes -- makes us believe in the old saying, that evil loses in the end.
And believe me, Brian Stelter, this is the end. I mean, the breathtaking speed at which CNN+ crashed was a spectacular, almost Ziegfeld Follies' end?
GLENN: Yes. Yes. Follow me on this one.
STU: Okay. That would be assuming that Ziegfeld had ever spent $300 million on his show, to only have it close in eight weeks.
But, of course, he didn't. Crap, Brian Stelter, I apologize. I used a hypothetical Ziegfeld Follies' comparison in my last tweet.
I made the point, that the failure of CNN+ was so epic, that it was akin to Ziegfeld having a $300 million production close in eight weeks. Sorry. I meant four weeks.
(laughter)
One more thing, Brian Stelter. On CNN+'s epic $300,000,000 4-week flameout.
The Hindenburg of media failures.
Please note, I only use Ziegfeld Follies because I thought it would be relatable to you and your elitist, out of touch, New York City, upper west side, snotty coworkers.
Brian Stelter, when you're part of the cry of the business version of the Titanic and bodies are still in the freezing water, crew members begin to question themselves and become introspective. What did you do wrong? May I suggest a few things that I'm sure you may be thinking. And then you go into -- you launch into a plethora of things that they have done wrong. Of course, this is available on Twitter.
GLENN: Of course, it starts with Donald Trump. That's the reason why they failed. You know they're blaming it on somebody. But not themselves. They will learn nothing from this.
STU: At no point, did anyone rationally believe this would work. Why -- a network that no one watches when it's free on your cable system. Why would people spend money, to go out there, and justify -- and we keep saying $300 million. The plan was $1 billion over four years, on the streaming network.
Who could possibly believe that would work?
I mean, it's the -- it was dead before it began. Discovery because of the merger work, could not say that to CNN.
They could not say, the second we're taking over, we're shutting this thing down. They couldn't say it legally. So they did everything they could. And outwardly said, you know, this doesn't seem like a great idea. But they couldn't specifically tell them to change the plans. So they didn't. To make sure they protected the merger. The second they get in there. Well, obviously, this isn't going to work. The people at CNN rushed it through to start it, before the merger went through fully. So they could get it on the air. And made such a big deal about it, trying to lock discovery into keeping it going.
You know, they said stuff like, this is the most important moment in CNN's history. It's going to be the change the face of the news media.
Hoping that discovery would come in and say, how will we get out of this?
GLENN: It sounds a little like the Democratic plan in Washington, doesn't it? We'll just start all these things. And then hope the Republicans won't take them out.
STU: Take them down.
GLENN: And, you know what, if the Republicans do what they usually do, they won't take it down.
STU: Discovery didn't act like the Republicans. They acted like a company that wants to make money.
GLENN: Yeah. That wants to survive, you know what I mean?
STU: I mean, how hard did you laugh, when you heard this yesterday, Pat?
PAT: Oh. I loved it. I laughed until I wept. I was weeping for joy.
GLENN: You know what, can I tell you something? We honestly, with a very few elections on election take. We don't gloat. I don't enjoying people's failures.
PAT: It's impossible not to enjoy --
GLENN: I enjoyed this so much. I enjoyed this more than if they would have said, Glenn, not only would you get Willy Wonka's chocolate factory. You're going to be living in a house built with ice cream, okay?
You couldn't have made me happier. Than this failure.
PAT: Uh-huh. We were thinking of the biggest business failures of all time. And it's kind of on par with pets.com. Remember the spectacular --
GLENN: On par. No.
PAT: But it's way beyond that.
GLENN: Yeah.
PAT: Pets.com lasted 262 days.
STU: Wow. That's pretty good.
PAT: This lasted 30 days. Thirty-one.
GLENN: This really is the -- more akin to the Titanic. That ship lasted one voyage.
PAT: Hmm.
GLENN: It was unsinkable. It lasted one voyage, and rested at the bottom of the sea.
STU: At least it made it halfway across. You can't argue that with CNN+.
PAT: You cannot.
GLENN: This would be like the Titanic sinking in the dry dock. That's how bad this is.