Glenn Beck announced that he laid off a sizable portion of the workforce at his production company and conservative-learning news outlet on Thursday, citing the "structural challenges facing media companies today."

He laid off slightly more than 20 percent of the combined workforce of The Blaze, a right-wing multiplatform news organization, and Mercury Radio Arts, his production company.

Under the heading "disrupt, or be disrupted," Beck noted that the past year has been hard on his business and emphasized the necessity of innovation.

"This year has been one of the hardest years of my life," he wrote. "I’ve learned so much about myself, my friends and coworkers, and basic human nature. I have also learned a lot about my business and what I believe it will take to succeed in tomorrow’s America. The industrial revolution took 100 years to unfold; industry-altering change now occurs in days, not centuries."

Beck did not elaborate on the specific hurdles facing his companies except to say that "the structural challenges facing media companies today are real" and that "no government institution is going to write us a giant check."

The Blaze, which was founded by Beck in 2011, broadcasts on regional cable networks across the United States and offers text- and video-based content online at TheBlaze.com. It has given rise to high-profile right-wing personalities such as Tomi Lahren, a current Fox News contributor who sued Beck and The Blaze for wrongful termination this year.