(Image Source: GBTV)

BY GARY COTTON

ANCHOR ZACH TOOMBS

GBTV is on the air...er...web. Glenn Beck’s production company launched his online news network Monday, KSBI reports...he’s doing well... 

“As of last night, Beck is Back. Whether that sends a good or bad shiver down your spine, the initial numbers for his new online venture, GBTV are impressive.”

Same Glenn--new chalkboard. A writer for The Wall Street Journal says thousands of subscribers have literally bought-in to the show, that’s said to be a lot like the old.

“It will … resemble the show he anchored on Fox with features like his trademark chalkboard and call to activism … in June, [GBTV] had a modest 80,000 subscribers. In the months since, subscribers have swelled to more than 230,000...[That’s] more than the average 156,000 people who watched the Oprah Winfrey Network in June.”

So besides being twice as long, what’s new with show? Beck appeared on former co-worker Bill O’Reilly’s show talking about what he’ll add.

“We have somebody who’s in charge of looking at the colleges and universities and they’re going to be trying to get them to organize, a little bit, the conservatives on campus. We have someone who’s really kind of my service expert. When there’s a Joplin; when there’s, god forbid another 9/11 or something like that, they will be there.”

A writer for Forbes says the biggest change for Beck might not be his viewership or programming -- but the size of Beck’s wallet. The deal could bring in a lot of cash -- $135 million worth.

“If it’s influence Glenn Beck values most, maybe he should have stayed at Fox News [where] he drew more than 1 million viewers … That $135 million … excludes anything Beck makes from selling sponsorships against GBTV’s programming … his earnings from radio … his book imprint with Simon & Schuster, his comedy shows and his merchandise.”