Fox News replacing Shep Smith with Bill Hemmer
- Sara Fischer, author of Axios Media Trends
Photo: Roy Rochlin/Getty Images
Fox News announced Monday that veteran anchor Bill Hemmer will take over for the network's 3pm hour beginning Jan. 20.
Why it matters: Hemmer is taking the reins after longtime Fox News anchor Shep Smith announced in October that he was stepping down from his position as anchor of "Shepard Smith Report." Smith was also Fox News' chief news anchor and managing editor of the network's breaking news unit.
Details: In a statement, Fox billed the show as a "hard news hour" and said the name of the show will be called "Bill Hemmer Reports."
- "As a journalist, I am extremely grateful for this opportunity. 2020 will undoubtedly be a year of great significance," Hemmer said in a statement. "Leading our breaking news division with a signature hour has enormous value to me, personally, and to our audience."
- Hemmer currently co-hosts "America's Newsroom," Fox News' three-hour morning news show. He has been with the network since 2005 and was an anchor with CNN prior to joining Fox.
The big picture: Hemmer's hiring is mostly being lauded as a well-deserved promotion, especially by colleagues at Fox News who have been congratulating him on Twitter.
Yes, but: Mediaite, which broke the story of Hemmer's promotion, noted that Hemmer may not take as much of a contrarian take towards the Trump administration as his predecessor Smith, who had a reputation for being a fair anchor and straight news reporter.
- Smith reportedly exited the network in response to tension between the news and opinion divisions at Fox News.
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