Simplifying the Message to Help SPREAD the Message: Beck Talks About Big Plans for GBTV & The Blaze

Those who follow The Blaze or GBTV might have an inkling that Glenn Beck has big plans for his complex organization. To that end, on Monday, he announced the merger of GBTV with the newly launched Marketplace by Markdown, all under one Blaze umbrella as the first-ever multi-platform media company of its kind. Moving forward, GBTV, along with Marketplace, will now bear The Blaze moniker.

Glenn Beck said during his Monday evening broadcast, "In just a few short months together we have accomplished so much -- and we are on our way to accomplishing so much more". Ironically, Beck was never too fond of the name GBTV as he felt the message was about more than just one person.

"We have been blessed as a business, as a company and as a network," he added.

Subscribers to GBTV needn't be concerned about the merger hindering their subscription or viewing capabilities. Later in the year, the GBTV.com website will simply re-direct to The Blaze where the same premium content will be featured. Likewise, iOS devices, Roku and Boxee users will also see a seamless transition.  The Blaze will simply house the two platforms, offering the same free and subscription contents viewers and readers have enjoyed.

Rather, it's about simplifying the message "to help spread the message."

In an exclusive interview with CNN, Beck explained one of the reasons for the change:

“I didn’t like the name GBTV from the very beginning for a couple of reasons,” Beck said in an exclusive interview with CNN.com. “One, it’s a little egocentric, and two, it’s television, which doesn’t describe necessarily what we do.”

Beck and Chris Balfe, president and COO of Mercury Radio Arts (Beck’s company), said they planned to change the name once the online streaming network was more established but the early success of GBTV precipitated an earlier name change.

On Monday evening's episode of The Glenn Beck Program Beck explained how, step by step, Mercury has been launching a series of new initiatives from feeding the homeless to Restoring Love in an effort to prove "that combining big dreams with hard work is still the only recipe for lasting success."

In a personal letter published on The Blaze, Beck wrote:

Today, I’m excited to reveal the next part of the plan—and it involves three of our largest and most important projects: GBTV, our online streaming television network that hosts my daily show, TheBlaze.com, our extremely popular independent news and information outlet, and the Marketplace by Markdown.com, our e-commerce site featuring American small businesses.

Just a few hours ago I announced to my staff that we will be merging these three properties into a new, world-class multimedia network called “TheBlaze.”

Beck believes that by combining the world's largest subscription online network with a news site currently visited by more than 7 million unique visitors a month, and an e-commerce site that is "reinventing the way small business owners find an audience," we will be "creating a powerful new media entity."

Beck also explained that in the near future, The Blaze will begin offering original programming and video content on a "24/7 basis." In addition to the current GBTV lineup the organization will also be launching new content on The Blaze and expand into radio and publishing. In his letter, Beck continued:

I believe that merging these properties will help expose the critical news and information we report on daily to millions more people. By virtue of its size and committed user base, the mainstream will be unable to easily marginalize or ignore TheBlaze—or the stories we report on. I told you last year that we were going to drive the establishment in this country crazy—and this is how we will do it.

But the keyword is “we.”

During his broadcast Beck thanked readers, listeners, employees and viewers alike -- everyone who has been an integral part of shaping the organization and directing its path. He also extended his appreciation for the subscribers, who put trust in Beck's venture into unchartered territory.

The Blaze's unique model and unparalleled content, according to Beck, will make history.