Glenn beck and fox news split

(Image credit: Facebook/ Fox News)

After months of speculation, Glenn Beck is officially leaving his controversial Fox News show. Beck's production company, Mercury Radio Arts, and the cable network announced that the daily 5 p.m.

show will be phased out this year, even if Beck will still produce occasional specials for Fox. Though the doggedly provocative newsman has had a bumpy ride recently, his ratings remain the third highest in cable news. So why exactly is he moving on?

Daily mail

Here, four theories:

1. Beck became toxic to advertisers

Crowing liberals believe this turn of events was inevitable, says Brian Stelter at The New York Times. They say Beck's outrageous pronouncements, such as calling President Obama a racist, made him undesirable to advertisers.

Color of Change, a major Beck foe, spearheaded a boycott, and claims that 300 advertisers have abandoned the weepy host's show. The organization's executive director, James Rucker, says: "Fox News Channel clearly understand