Fox News Channel’s Shepard Smith has signed a new 3-year contract worth $7 to $8 million a year.
The NYTimes‘ Bill Carter writes, “That figure may not quite reach Katie Couric‘s $15 million level, but it is in the vicinity of the contracts with Brian Williams at NBC and Charles Gibson at ABC — and it is spectacularly lofty for cable television news. Mr. Smith would be making more than anyone at CNN — if reports of $5 million for Anderson Cooper and $6 million for Lou Dobbs are accurate.”
>More: An emailer writes, “Shep Smith’s new contract numbers make you wonder whether that long-rumored Fox broadcast news effort might actually launch. Perhaps with the writers’ strike on for an extended period, [Roger] Ailes sees an opportunity.”
Click continued to read the FNC press release…
SHEPARD SMITH RE-SIGNS WITH FOX NEWS CHANNEL
Shepard Smith has re-signed a multi-year deal with FOX News Channel (FNC) to continue as its lead news anchor, announced Roger Ailes, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, FOX News and Chairman, FOX Television Stations.
In making the announcement, Ailes said, “Shep has an exceptional talent for delivering the news in a distinct and engaging manner. His passion and enthusiasm are unmatched in the industry.”
Smith added, “FOX has been my home for more than a decade and I’m thrilled to remain with the network that has revolutionized the television news landscape.”
Joining FNC at its inception in 1996, Smith anchors The FOX Report with Shepard Smith, which has served as the network’s signature evening newscast at 7pm since its debut in 1999. Under Smith’s direction, the program has been number one in its timeslot for 73 consecutive months and has beaten both CNN and MSNBC combined for 23 consecutive quarters, according to Nielsen Media Research. Averaging nearly 1.5 million viewers a night, The FOX Report is currently the third most-watched program in cable news. In addition to his weeknight newscast, Smith anchors the afternoon news program, Studio B, which also ranks number one in its timeslot.
While at FNC, Smith has notably covered the approaching Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath from his native region; the Middle East conflict from the Israel-Lebanon border; 9/11 and the subsequent war in Afghanistan; Operation Iraqi Freedom; the Columbine school massacre, and President Clinton’s impeachment and trial. He was one of only two television correspondents to witness the execution of Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh in June of 2001.
Prior to joining the network, Smith was a Los Angeles based Fox News correspondent, reporting on a wide range of stories for the FOX affiliate news service, including the crash of TWA Flight 800, the Montana Freeman Standoff, and the Oklahoma City bombing. Before this, Smith gained extensive local news experience throughout the state of Florida, reporting for WSVN-TV (FOX) in Miami, the former WCPX-TV (CBS) in Orlando, WBBH-TV (NBC) in Fort Myers, and WJHG-TV (NBC) in Panama City, where he began his television career.
FOX News Channel (FNC) is a 24-hour general news service covering breaking news as well as political, entertainment and business news. For more than five years, FNC has been the most watched cable news channel in the nation, presenting the top eight out of ten programs in the genre for 2007 to date. Owned by News Corp., FNC is available in more than 90 million homes.