Despite a report that Sean Hannity will soon helm FNC’s 9pmET alone when Alan Colmes departs at the end of the year, a Fox News executive tells TVNewser no decision has been made.
“Contrary to what The New York Times is reporting, a final decision has not been made,” says SVP of programming Bill Shine. Colmes announced his departure from the show yesterday after approaching Shine “around Labor Day” that he wanted to try something different.
That presents Fox News’ #2 show with its first talent shake-up in its 12-year history. And while Hannity may in fact go it alone, Shine says an announcement will come “probably a week or two” after the Thanksgiving holiday.
Shine also shoots down the rumor that Hannity’s Saturday night show will air in the 9pmET time slot. “There are no plans to move Hannity’s America to five days a week,” says Shine.
Shine says Hannity, who signed a new deal just last month, “has input” in the final decision. Asked whether the new contract stipulated that should Colmes depart, Hannity gets the show solo, Shine said, “I would never go into details of a contract.”
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> More: A Fox News insider with direct knowledge of the situation questions the motive of the New York Times sources, but tells TVNewser, “Roger [Ailes] is brilliant and he realizes Hannity cannot carry the show alone for an hour like O’Reilly. If we were to even go in this direction, one of the possibilities would have to include surrounding Sean with packages and panels with diverse personalities.”