Earlier this month, David Carr's New York Times article about Glenn Beck's possible departure from his home at Fox sparked speculation. Today, rumors that Joel Cheatwood, Fox News' Senior Vice President for development and Glenn Beck's Fox liaison, will be leaving the network for Beck's personal production company, Mercury Radio Arts, has fueled even further curiosity. Deadline Hollywood reports that Cheatwood's contract will expire next month and a renewal is unlikely, as "Cheatwood had reportedly been marginalized for more than a year."

Mediaites's Colby Hall, for one, takes the talk of Cheatwood's transfer as a sign that Glenn Beck has big plans for the future, plans that don't include Fox News. "By bringing on a senior television executive with Cheatwood’s track record, Beck seems to be telling to the television world (and perhaps his current employer) that his vision for his future in broadcasting is not entirely reliant on Fox News," Hall suggests.

In response to Beck's purported plotting, Business Insider's Glynnis MacNicol posts a photo showing posters of both Beck and Sean Hannity posing next to a giant "#1" in the lobby News Corps headquarters, sent in by a reader. "Doesn't look like he's on his way out does it?" quips MacNicol. Still, she admits, "Needless to say both Fox and Beck would likely be fine without each other...That said, it's also hard to imagine Beck and Fox tossing away such a mutually profitable relationship. Instead, probably better to prepare for another nine months of public 'negotiations' such as what we've been seeing over the last few weeks."

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Caitlin Dickson