Publicly, Glenn Beck and Fox News may have put a happy face on their divorce, but there’s a whole lot of acrimony behind the scenes, sources from both sides tell the New York Times. Beck’s supporters say he was unhappy at Fox almost from day one, and has been eying the exit ever since. They say there was constant sniping from the network, which they accuse of planting stories about his declining ratings.
They also say Fox was uncomfortable with Beck’s efforts to build a career outside of Fox News. Fox, meanwhile, says its problems with Beck are all a matter of public record: He has a history of making incendiary remarks, and advertisers don’t want to be on his program. “By the end, both sides had had enough,” says one executive involved with the talks. (Click to hear Beck's explanation for his exit, in which he compares himself to Paul Revere.)