In 2000,
The Glenn Beck Program began airing on
WFLA (AM) 970 in
Tampa, Florida. He inherited the 18th-placed position at WFLA and quickly gained popularity in its afternoon slot. Within one year of doing his first talk show in afternoon drive at WFLA, Beck gave the station its first No. 1 program ever. On January 14, 2002,
WPHT in
Philadelphia became the flagship station. Beck ran a series of rallies called "Glenn Beck's Rally for America" during 2003, in support of the troops fighting the
Iraq War. While generally attended by war supporters, Beck spoke of many who "disagreed with the war, but still supported the troops". He ran the final rally at
Marshall University, over the
Memorial Day weekend. The event drew about 25,000 people. 2005 marked a year of substantial ratings growth. The program ended the year being heard on more than 200 stations, and was the third highest-rated national radio talk show among adults ages 25 to 54, according to Premiere Research/
Arbitron. On January 17, 2006, Beck began a new television show at
CNN Headline News. To accommodate the new show, Beck relocated his studios to
Radio City Music Hall in New York City. Until January 2011, Beck's flagship station in New York City was
WOR. The show added its 300th affiliate in 2008. Its 400th affiliate,
KRLA in Los Angeles, was added in June 2010. On October 16, 2008, Beck announced that he had signed a "multi-year deal" that would put him in the popular 5 p.m. (Eastern) time slot on the
Fox News Channel. He decided not to renew his contract with CNN, instead taking a deal from Fox because he felt Fox would give him permission to voice his opinions. After his dismissal from
Fox News,
Bill O'Reilly joined the show as a contributor, appearing every Friday or whenever certain news warrants. ==Format==