Does Glenn Beck know something we don't?

Nope, this isn't going to be what you think it is.

Here in NY we have some experience with a media personality leaving the conventional "system".

Actually 2 of them. The first was, famously, Howard Stern.

His show was syndicated all over but he broadcast from WXRK here in NY. Stern was a regular in the gossip columns, regularly appeared on Letterman and other NY shows.

Next was Chris Russo of WFAN, the sports talk station. Russo spent 15 years as the co-host of the "Mike and the Mad Dog" show. He and co-host Mike Francessa are credited with being really the popularizers of the sports talk format.

Both left commercial radio and signed highly publicized deals with Sirrus satellite radio.

After much publicity on their moves, they have both largely disappeared from public consciousness. When was the last time you saw either of them on a talk show, or with a book on the best seller list.

So, I was fascinated when Beck decided to leave Fox (or mutually decided - despite reports, I doubt, with his ratings, that he was fired.).

But he may have hit the mother lode. Why or how you ask?

Simple. He is starting his own internet broadcast.

That in and of itself, is something no one else has really done.

But more than that, he is charging only $4.95/month for his show.

That amount is low enough as to be no "barrier to entry" for the overwhelming majority of people. And barriers to entry are the first thing people look at when trying to decide the viability of a business.

It's such a low price that I can see people saying 'what the heck' I'll give it a try. And like so many automatic credit card charges, people tend to get lazy and let them keep going, particularly when it's that cheap.

So, why is he right? I honestly think he has hit a home run here.

If you think about the numbers, he averaged about 1.4 million viewers a day. If he merely holds on to 5% of that, the numbers are this, 70,000 viewers at $5/mo. (If they sign up for his higher level program of $9.99 you can double some the #'s) adds up to $350,000 a month. 4.2 million a year.

If he holds onto 10% of this audience, than he's REALLY doing well.

I think he may really be at the forefront of a new media. Even a pioneer.