In its latest bid to beef up original programming, Glenn Beck's online TV network TheBlaze is adding a new politics show hosted by conservative Sirius XM talker Andrew Wilkow.
Wilkow has appeared frequently on the subscription-based network as a guest since its launch in January, and his show will add to the 35 hours of weekly original programming already featured on TheBlaze — including a reality show about survivalists, a children's educational program, and news panel show that airs after Beck's program.
"Glenn Beck and the team at TheBlaze are creating an incredible new network from the ground up," Wilkow said in a statement provided to BuzzFeed. "I'm thrilled to bring my own voice into the mix, and I can't wait to get started."
Joel Cheatwood, president of TheBlaze, said the network will soon offer 24/7 programming, and that Wilkow's show is a move in that direction. The network currently has more than 300,000 subscribers and is expected to bring in at least $40 million in revenue this year, according to the Wall Street Journal.
At the same time, Beck's media empire has been undergoing a sort of relaunch in recent months: the network was recently renamed from GBTV to TheBlaze (now sharing a name with Beck's news site), and Beck himself is repositioning himself as a kinder, gentler figure, hosting a "Restoring Love" rally in Dallas later this month.
Meanwhile, Wilkow, 39, is on the younger side of conservative talk radio hosts, and his shock-jock routine — he once referred to Rachael Maddow as "a little boy" and Perez Hilton "a vile sodomite" — has drawn comparisons to Howard Stern. His addition to TheBlaze could be read as a move on Beck's part to draw an audience that's bored with Fox News and increasingly consumed media online.
Wilkow, who joins network contributors S.E. Cupp and Amy Holmes among others, will continue to host his radio show.