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Sean Hannity is Rumored to go to Sinclair

The only problem is that Sinclair has no real channel for them, and Sinclair has a big pile of debt from buying all these stations.

Launching a new talk channel won't be easy or cheap. Hannity and O'Reilly would cost about $100 million plus staff and start up costs.

From what I can see, Hannity signed his last "multi-year" contract in 2012. If there's an out after 5 years, he might be available.

He's been getting beat in the ratings by MSNBC lately. Obviously he's not happy about that.
 
Hannity has gone full Pravda as the Trump Information Service, which may or may not be helping. You certainly won't find a new Hannity show replacing network programming on Sinclair stations.
 
Well also what would Fox News do if Hannity really leaves and Sinclair really gets him. If True Wouldn't Hannity have to do segments similar to Mark Hyman and Boris Epsthyn between local news segments on Sinclair Owned Local News. Also Hannity has a contract on the radio side with Iheart I'm just not sure how all of this will pan out now that these rumors are supposedly at play here. And yes its how will KTLA, WPIX, KTXL and WGN viewers would react if this deal goes through.
 
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RadioPatrol said:
If True Wouldn't Hannity have to do segments similar to Mark Hyman and Boris Epsthyn between local news segments on Sinclair Owned Local News.
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TTBOMK he's never done them for Fox owned stations. No reason to assume he'd do them for anyone else.

RadioPatrol said:
Also Hannity has a contract on the radio side with Iheart
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They're very different contracts with different companies, and he just re-signed a couple years ago, so I suspect he has a lot of time left. He has more listeners than viewers according to Talkers Magazine, so I'd suspect that's where his real power base is.
 
TheBigA said:
TTBOMK he's never done them for Fox owned stations. No reason to assume he'd do them for anyone else.



They're very different contracts with different companies, and he just re-signed a couple years ago, so I suspect he has a lot of time left. He has more listeners than viewers according to Talkers Magazine, so I'd suspect that's where his real power base is.
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True Hannity does not appear on Fox Owned stations especially KTVU and KTTV. The ones Fox Owned stations do air from Fox News is Fox News Sunday with Chris Wallace and on the West Coast that airs right before Fox Sports programming on KTTV and KTVU.
 
If Hannity goes to Sinclair, he'll probably get an hour long show on WGN America. Not sure about commentaries, but there could be some 'must-run' segments on days where Boris doesn't air. Local news should never have a political bias whatsoever, IMO.
 
I don't believe the rumor that Bill O'Reilly is trying to get Sean Hannity to leave Fox News for Sinclair given that O'Reilly & Hannity don't like each other. I thought that Sean has a contract with Fox News until 2020.
 
This only happens if:

--Sinclair completes the merger with Tribune
--Sinclair then turns WGN-A, at least the prime time block, into a News/Talk block, likely picking up O'Reilly as well, and giving Sharyl Atkisson a nightly show
--Hannity can secure a release from his Fox contract unless they're willing to wait three years.

Hannity may have negotiated a way out when Ailes left. I don't know and neither does anyone else here. Interesting to speculate though. If that trio does come together, I see Atkisson's Sunday show also being carried on WGN-A, and the other two either filming segments or having cuts from their shows added to local Sinclair newscasts.

Such a strategy would represent a significant threat to FNC and could result in the carrying fees for WGN-A increasing.
 
http://www.fiercecable.com/broadcas...-deals-bill-o-reilly-sean-hannity-report-says

Apparently now other news outlets are looking at this speculation of Hannity moving to Sinclair. Unless protestors show up at the Fox News Building demanding Hannity be removed or Fox News lawyers gets a lawsuit against Hannity then I don't see the Sinclair/ Hannity deal being confirmed for now. Also I noticed some outlets say that Hannity is a huge supporter of former Fox News leadership Bill Shine though. We have to wait and see where Bill Shine land next.
 
TheBigA said:
The only problem is that Sinclair has no real channel for them, and Sinclair has a big pile of debt from buying all these stations.

Launching a new talk channel won't be easy or cheap. Hannity and O'Reilly would cost about $100 million plus staff and start up costs.

From what I can see, Hannity signed his last "multi-year" contract in 2012. If there's an out after 5 years, he might be available.

He's been getting beat in the ratings by MSNBC lately. Obviously he's not happy about that.
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http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/msnbc-scores-big-ratings-feat-1024014 Yes Rachael Maddow is named for beating Fox News in this article.
 
TheBigA said:
Not to mention Shark Week on Discovery. That's what I was watching.

In all fairness, I believe Hannity is suffering from a weak lead-in. Fox needs a stronger 9PM show.
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What if Shepard Smith or Chris Wallace do a 9pm show on Fox News? Would that increase ratings in any form at the primetime hours.
 
RadioPatrol said:
What if Shepard Smith or Chris Wallace do a 9pm show on Fox News?
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I think people at that hour want red meat, not serious journalism. That's what's killing CNN. Anderson Cooper is too serious.

The problem with the 9PM Fox show is it's a bunch of millennials talking to themselves. At that hour, they need a boomer talking to boomers.
 
umfan said:
This only happens if:

--Sinclair completes the merger with Tribune
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Not sure what you mean. This is a proposed corporate merger for ownership of stations. FOX (cable) News is a separate division of 20th Century FOX, as is the station O&O division, Movie, Sports division, etc. Cable network talent being potentially wooed away has nothing to do with a station group merger of an affiliate group.

umfan said:
--Sinclair then turns WGN-A, at least the prime time block, into a News/Talk block, likely picking up O'Reilly as well, and giving Sharyl Atkisson a nightly show
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O'Reilly is a TV pariah right now given the allegations of why he left FOX News. He will lay low for a year or two working with his book ghost writer on a new book. There is no pressure to return to cable or network TV.

umfan said:
--Hannity can secure a release from his Fox contract unless they're willing to wait three years.
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Pretty clear you haven't dealt with network talent contracts. A company as large as 20th Century FOX with all it's contract lawyers, would not leave big loopholes in a talent contract. There is also ALWAYS a non-compete baked in if either party exercised an option to release talent from the contract.

umfan said:
Hannity may have negotiated a way out when Ailes left. I don't know and neither does anyone else here.
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You're at least right in that last sentence. That said, I suspect when the allegations of sexual harassment came out in public, the last thing on Roger's mind was renegotiating talent deals on a network that was about to hand him a big check on the way out the back door.

umfan said:
Such a strategy would represent a significant threat to FNC and could result in the carrying fees for WGN-A increasing.
Click to expand...

Assuming what you predict were to happen, it would literally take years to build a new brand, and the popularity increase, to start jacking cable sub fees.
 
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