Shep Smith Hosting Nightly Newscast On Fox Broadcast?: “It Would Be So Cool”

“Much like a youthful Dan Rather made a name for himself with stellar coverage of a Gulf Coast hurricane two generations ago, Fox News Channel’s Shepard Smith opened some eyes with his work” during Katrina, the AP’s David Bauder ledes on the wire today.

I think the more important part of the story is the ending:

“With Fox News chief Roger Ailes expanding his authority to the Fox-owned local stations, there’s talk the Fox broadcast network might want to begin a nightly newscast. Smith would be the obvious choice to anchor.”

Shep’s response: “It would be so cool, and if they wanted me to do it, I certainly wouldn’t turn them down.”

> Also: “Before Katrina, he averaged 1.4 million viewers a night. Since Katrina, he’s been bringing in more than 2.5 million viewers, according to Nielsen Media Research.”