New York magazine national affairs editor Gabe Sherman reported this morning that Fox News co-president Bill Shine is expressing concern about his future at the network in light of the Bill O’Reilly saga and other controversies that have been swirling around the network under his watch for some time now.
Sherman writes:
According to three sources briefed on the conversations, Shine has told friends he recently asked Rupert’s sons James and Lachlan — the CEO and co-chairman, respectively, of network parent company 21st Century Fox — to release a statement in support of him, but they refused to do so. The sources said Shine made the request because of withering press coverage of Fox News in recent weeks. A source added that Shine has privately complained that Rupert “isn’t fighting for him” in the press, which is why he wanted explicit support from the sons.
Fox News host Sean Hannity is a longtime friend and colleague of Shine’s. He brought Shine to Fox News in 1996 to produce his first prime time program Hannity & Colmes.
Hannity responded to Sherman’s story via Twitter, expressing support for the reportedly-embattled co-president of Fox News.
Gäbe i pray this is NOT true because if it is, that’s the total end of the FNC as we know it. Done. Best Sean https://t.co/W3BJ2wjzRD
— Sean Hannity (@seanhannity) April 27, 2017
He then apologized for giving Sherman’s first name an emlaut.
Ha. Gabe sorry about the 2 dots. I couldn’t do that again if I tried. Best Sean https://t.co/Aga19m4sS7
— Sean Hannity (@seanhannity) April 27, 2017
Here’s where it starts to get very interesting…
Somebody HIGH UP AND INSIDE FNC is trying to get an innocent person fired. And Gabe I KNOW WHO it is. Best Sean https://t.co/W3BJ2wjzRD
— Sean Hannity (@seanhannity) April 27, 2017
#Istandwithbill https://t.co/W3BJ2wjzRD
— Sean Hannity (@seanhannity) April 27, 2017
I’ll change it. #Istandwithshinehttps://t.co/W3BJ2wjzRD
— Sean Hannity (@seanhannity) April 27, 2017
Sherman seemed to take Hannity’s spelling mistake in stride.
Got a kick out of @seanhannity use of an umlaut. Always wanted to see what my name would look like as a piece of Ikea furniture.
— Gabriel Sherman (@gabrielsherman) April 27, 2017