Michael Clemente Has Been Named Chief Executive of Newsmax TV

By A.J. Katz 

Veteran TV news executive Michael Clemente is back in the business.

Clemente, formerly of Fox News and ABC News, has been named chief executive officer of Newsmax TV.

In his new role, Clemente will oversee programming and daily operations of Newsmax. The conservative-leaning TV news outlet now reaches 50 million U.S. TV-owning households.

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“Michael is one of the most accomplished executives and producers in television and digital news,” Chris Ruddy, CEO of parent company Newsmax Media, Inc., said in a statement. “He is widely respected in the industry and has won accolades for his high journalistic standards. It’s an honor for us to have him leading our team.”

“Newsmax has demonstrated the ability to adapt and thrive in the highly transformative digital news world, and was one of the first major online outlets to create a TV brand in cable and OTT,” Clemente said. “I’m excited to take on this new role at Newsmax during an incredible period of change, in a country eager for truth, understanding, and engagement in the news process.”

This is Clemente’s return to TV news after he was let go from Fox News in July 2016.

We reported that Clemente was the first high-profile executive to be dismissed following Roger Ailes‘s resignation in 2016, but insiders told TVNewser his dismissal was not tied to Ailes’ departure, and 21st Century Fox chairman Rupert Murdoch named himself interim chairman.

Clemente arrived at FNC in 2009, and had been evp of news editorial, overseeing all news programming, including the presidential primary debates during the last two campaign cycles, including the August 2015 debate, as well as the Michigan Democratic Town Hall in March 2016.

Clemente was moved to a Fox News specials/longform unit role in April 2016, and departed the network three months later.

Before joining Fox News, Clemente built a 27-year career at ABC News. He was senior producer for World News Tonight with Peter Jennings, senior broadcast producer for 20/20 and ep of This Week with David Brinkley. Clemente also launched ABC News Now, the streaming 24/7 live news channel.

Additionally, Clemente had a two-year run at CNN, where he was executive producer of live and breaking news and oversaw CNN talk shows, including Inside Politics, Crossfire, Reliable Sources, and Late Edition.

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