Could Fox's firebrand go solo? Beck ponders world domination

COULD GLENN Beck, the weeping, wailing superstar of Americanright-wing broadcasting, be about to walk out on Rupert Murdoch'sFox News? In media circles, it is the hottest topic of the hour, asintense sniping from both sides stirs speculation that thehyperactive and hypersensitive Mr Beck could be about to end theirtwo-year relationship - and even create a rival TV channel of hisown.

It is becoming clear that the presenter's ambitions stretch muchfurther than his nightly Glenn Beck Show, a mix of conspiratorialmonologue decrying the US fall into socialism and guest slotsfeaturing the stars of the Tea Party firmament, which has become astaple of the Fox News prime-time line-up.

Already, a loyal audience has trooped to bookstores to buy MrBeck's prodigious literary output, from America's March toSocialism: Why We're One Step Closer to Giant Missile Parades toArguing With Idiots: How To Stop Small Minds and Big Government. Hisnationally syndicated radio talk show is the third most popular inthe nation. And he has been hiring new staff for his internetbroadcasting venture, Mercury Radio Arts, which runs a subscriptionservice for political junkies who want more Beck-inspired shows anddocumentaries.

And Mr Beck's next move has become one of the most hotlyanticipated questions now that talks on renewing his contract withFox are coming into view. His current deal runs out in December.Rumours yesterday suggested Mr Beck is toying with the idea oftaking over a cable TV channel to run his shows and relatedprogramming in the future.

Mr Beck made a half-hearted attempt to quell speculationyesterday, after news that he had sounded out friends about takingover a cable station or expanding his online subscription serviceinto a fully fledged online TV channel. "Roger Ailes [president ofFox News] has built the most important voice in America today - FoxNews - and it is an honour to do my show there every night. I haveno intention whatsoever of doing the show I am doing now on Foxanywhere else," he said.

Deteriorating relations between Mr Beck and Fox have, however,been the stuff of industry gossip for months. His sky-high publicprofile is not matched by profits from the show, which struggles toattract big-name advertisers. In 2009, when Mr Beck called PresidentBarack Obama a racist with "a deep-seated hatred of white people",large companies including Geico insurance and Procter & Gamblepulled their ads.

Last year, Mr Beck persuade tens of thousands of followers to aTea Party-style "Rally to Restore Honour" in Washington, promptingComedy Central satirist Jon Stewart to lampoon the event and stagehis own, much bigger, Rally to Restore Sanity in the run-up to themid-term elections.