Issue: Was Glenn Beck’s Advice to S.D. Cable Meet Really Valuable?

Glenn Beck, the former Fox News commentator known for wild conspiracy theories drawn on a chalkboard, was in San Diego on Tuesday.  He spoke to a convention of independent cable-TV operators at the Hilton Bayfront.

U-T San Diego quoted the flamboyant conservative as saying: “I know my customer, I know my listener, I know my viewer, I know my reader, I know my fan. When you treat them right, if you listen to them, if you show them respect, they will rock your world because they rocked mine.”

Beck’s central message, the U-T said, was: “Be real.”

But his grasp of reality has been raked by many media critics, including investigative reporter Alexander Zaitchik, whose 2010 biography was titled Common Nonsense: Glenn Beck and the Triumph of Ignorance.

“Beck's true religion is not Patriotism, Mormonism or Conservatism,” Zaitchik wrote. “His true religion is cross-platform self-marketing.”

Given his reputation, is Beck a role model for media?  Or does his advice ring true for cable companies wanting to break out of the pack?  Share your thoughts in the comments.