The Genesis Communications Network, often referred to as GCN, was a radio network that operated from 1998 to 2024, owned by Ted Anderson. The network, at its peak, produced 45 shows, distributed on more than 780 radio stations nationwide. The network was known for talk programming;
Alex Jones
Alexander Emerick Jones (born February 11, 1974) is an American Far-right politics, far-right radio host, radio show host and prominent conspiracy theorist. He hosts ''The Alex Jones Show'' from Austin, Texas. ''The Alex Jones Show'' is the lo ...
was its most prominent
syndicated personality.
History and programming
Ted Anderson is the owner of Genesis Communications Network.
[Extremist Files: Alex Jones](_blank)
Southern Poverty Law Center
The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) is an American 501(c)(3) nonprofit legal advocacy organization specializing in civil rights and public interest litigation. Based in Montgomery, Alabama, it is known for its legal cases against white ...
(last accessed February 19, 2017. Anderson created the network in 1998 as a way to promote his company, Midas Resources, a precious metals firm.
As of September 11, 2015, Anderson's bullion coin representative registration, No. 40389579, was revoked. Further, Anderson was prohibited from being an owner, officer, member, or shareholder of any entity that holds a bullion coin dealer registration in the State of Minnesota for two years.
[Nate Blakeslee]
Alex Jones Is About To Explode
''Texas Monthly'' (March 2010).
Based in
Minnesota
Minnesota ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Upper Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Ontario to the north and east and by the U.S. states of Wisconsin to the east, Iowa to the so ...
, the network carries "a lot of conspiracy talk radio".
"By far the biggest star" on the network is
Alex Jones
Alexander Emerick Jones (born February 11, 1974) is an American Far-right politics, far-right radio host, radio show host and prominent conspiracy theorist. He hosts ''The Alex Jones Show'' from Austin, Texas. ''The Alex Jones Show'' is the lo ...
, a conspiracy theorist who became one of Genesis Communications Network's first personalities in 1999, after Jones was fired by an Austin radio station.
Jones promoted the
9/11 Truth movement and claimed that the
Boston Marathon bombing,
Washington Navy Yard shooting, and other events "are actually '
false flag
A false flag operation is an act committed with the intent of disguising the actual source of responsibility and pinning blame on another party. The term "false flag" originated in the 16th century as an expression meaning an intentional misrep ...
' operations" by the U.S. government "or evil 'globalist' forces planning to take over the world."
Jones' syndication with the network allowed him to reach a much larger audience; "
most overnight, he was on a hundred stations."
On April 19, 2024, Genesis announced that it would be shutting down on May 5. Existing programming will be migrated to other networks.
Legal issues
In May 2018, Genesis Communications Network and Midas Resources were named in a defamation lawsuit brought against Alex Jones and his syndicators. The suit was brought by the families of six victims killed in the
Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting
On December 14, 2012, a mass shooting occurred at Newtown Public Schools, Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, United States. The perpetrator, 20-year-old Adam Lanza, shot and killed 26 people. The victims were 20 children bet ...
and an FBI agent who was at the scene. In July 2022, Genesis was dropped as a defendant, with one of the plaintiff's lawyers stating that having Genesis involved at trial would have distracted from the main target: Mr. Jones and his media organization.
Shows and personalities
The network's shows include:
*''The Alex Jones Show''. Hosted by radio personality
Alex Jones
Alexander Emerick Jones (born February 11, 1974) is an American Far-right politics, far-right radio host, radio show host and prominent conspiracy theorist. He hosts ''The Alex Jones Show'' from Austin, Texas. ''The Alex Jones Show'' is the lo ...
. As of September 2020, Jones' show aired on 73 affiliate stations
*
Daliah Wachs
*''On Air With Doug, Jen and Victoria'' - GCN is one of two networks that distributes
Doug Stephan's morning program, carrying it via relay from
USA Radio Network. Upon the network's shutdown, Stephan plans on reducing the program to weekends only and moving to Talk Media Network and
United Stations Radio Networks.
*
''Home Talk USA'' with "The Cajun Contractor"
Michael King
*''Free Talk Live''
*Science Fantastic - Science show hosted by
Dr. Michio Kaku
Brokered programming, some for alternative medical products, fills out the rest of the schedules.
Jeff Rense was carried by Genesis Communications Network after the
Premiere Radio Networks dropped the show in the late 1990s. GCN took over distribution at that time, and carried the show through August 2009, at which point Rense pulled the show from the network, after he accused fellow Jones of terrorizing his family.
Psychologist
Joy Browne hosted her nationally syndicated program on the network in the last few years before her death.
[Sam Roberts]
Dr. Joy Browne, Long-Running Psychologist of the Airwaves, Dies at 71
''New York Times'' (August 31, 2016).
Notes
External links
Official website*Manuel Roig-Franzia
''
Washington Post
''The Washington Post'', locally known as ''The'' ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'' or ''WP'', is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C., the national capital. It is the most widely circulated newspaper in the Washington m ...
'' (November 17, 2016)
{{American broadcast radio
American radio networks
Conspiracist media