Another ABCer is heading to Fox News Channel.
TVNewser has learned 18-year veteran producer Sean Smith will be reuniting with his former ABC News colleague Michael Clemente, joining Fox as Vice President of News. Most recently Smith has been a Coordinating Producer for ABC News, and before that was the senior producer for the “World News” Webcast.
Smith replaces David Rhodes who left FNC for Bloomberg TV in November. We’re told Smith will work on editorial futures and long term news coverage while Jay Wallace, the VP of News Editorial Product, will continue handling day to day editorial operations.
Clemente left a 27-year career at ABC News last year joining FNC as SVP of News. Bill O’Reilly’s EP David Tabacoff is also an ABC News alum.
And yesterday we were first to report that “20/20” anchor John Stossel was leaving a nearly 30-year career at ABC News to join Fox Business Network and Fox News Channel.
> Update: Internal memo from Clemente after the jump…
I’m pleased to announce that a new Vice President of News is joining us soon…Sean Smith, from ABC News, beginning September 21.
Sean has spent 18 years at ABC News, most recently producing the World News webcast with Charlie Gibson, and for many years, as one of the coordinating producers, when Peter Jennings was anchoring the program.
He began on This Week with David Brinkley and the Weekend News and he has a shelf full of Emmy, Morrow, Peabody and Dupont awards to show for his part in the good work there.
Sean is very excited at the opportunity to join Fox News, and will work with me, and the other Vice Presidents, Executive Producers and desk editors, writers and others throughout the news division, to continue the drive forward.