Chris Balfe Departs, Betsy Morgan New CEO For Beck

Betsy Morgan

Glenn Beck's news website and TV network TheBlaze has promoted president and chief strategy officer Betsy Morgan to the role of C.E.O., according to CapitalNewYork.com.

As chief executive, Morgan will replace Chris Balfe, who is leaving the company after 12 years of working with Beck. Balfe also served as president of Beck's Mercury Radio Arts.

Morgan joined TheBlaze as president in early 2011. Before that, she spent two years as C.E.O. of the then-fledgling Huffington Post, from 2007 to 2009.

Morgan has also held high-level positions at CBS, including a run as S.V.P. for CBS Interactive, leading the broadcaster's digital business.

"Betsy has helped me evolve, pushed me out of my comfort zone and has helped define the thinking of where this company needs to go," Beck wrote in a note to staff announcing Morgan's appointment. "Unbeknownst to many, Betsy has already moved our place in the world forward."

Under Balfe, the company expanded its footprint by building out an online TV operation, called TheBlaze TV, eventually making the move to a more traditional business model by partnering with pay-TV providers as well.

Beck stated, "Chris Balfe has been my friend and the CEO of Mercury Radio Arts for 12 years. He has helped me launch every product line and every new crazy adventure and we have done well together. Twelve best-selling books, a leading website, a top radio channel, and a cable channel – a cable channel, are you kidding me?

"I know it is going to be a hard act to follow; under Chris’ watchful eye we have done things that no group of people our size have ever done, things that people thought were impossible. We proved them wrong. And I think that under the leadership of our new CEO, Betsy, we will continue to prove that there is another way and we'll confound the skeptics again."