A major overhaul is coming to Fox Business Network’s primetime programming later this month. The network is dropping three shows, hosted by Judge Andrew Napolitano, David Asman and Eric Bolling.
Beginning February 20, the network will repeat “The Willis Report,” “Cavuto” and “Lou Dobbs Tonight” at 8pm, 9pm and 10pmET, respectively.
The network is developing a new show hosted by Melissa Francis, who recently joined FBN from CNBC, that will air at 5pmET. When it debuts later this year, the current 5pmET program — “The Willis Report with Gerri Willis” — will air live at 8pmET.
Bolling and Napolitano will continue their on-air roles at Fox Business and Fox News; Asman will continue to anchor the 4pmET show on Fox Business.
“We look forward to Judge Napolitano, David and Eric continuing to make significant contributions to both FOX Business and FOX News,” FBN EVP Kevin Magee said in a statement.
Fox Business Network, which launched in October 2007, continues to struggle in the ratings. Last week, FBN ranked 89th in primetime and 86th in Total Day among ad-supported cable networks, drawing 51,000 and 56,000 viewers, respectively.
>We just got off the phone with Fox Business EVP Kevin Magee, who told us that the production staffs of the three cancelled shows will be up for positions on Francis’s new 5pm show, as well as daytime positions on FNC and FBN. As for the scheduling shifts: “She’ll do better at 8 than what we’ve had at 8,” Magee said of shifting Willis into the 8pmET timeslot.
“We want to make sure that the people who are doing the best job with the audience and who have the most credibility with the audience get more exposure,” he adds.