Happy Hour Is Over: Fox Business Network Cancels Dayside Business Program (UPDATE)

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by Colby Hall | 1:31 pm, May 21st, 2010

» 12 comments

Earlier today Mediate first reported that Fox Business had canceled Fox Business Happy Hour, the 5:00 pm show on the relatively nascent financial news channel. Mediaite has confirmed with Fox Business that an announcement is expected soon with programming changes beyond just 5pm, and has since learned more details concerning larger programming changes at FBN.

Earlier we asked how this show would affect the on-air hosts, Cody Willard, Rebecca Diamond, and Eric Bolling. Well we now hear that Eric Bolling will likely host a prime time program and Gerri Willis (who recently came to FBN from CNN), who was being considered for a weekend program, will likely take the 5pm hour. Both programs are expected to debut sometime in June.

Mediaite also looked into TVNewser’s “tipster” report which stated:

An FBN tipster tells TVNewser much of the technical crew has been let go with about two dozen jobs affected. We also hear Gerri Willis, who was brought over from CNN in March, could potentially be named the new 5pm host, but nothing official.

Mediaite has now confirmed with a Fox Business spokesperson that seven project-based employees (who were not considered regular full time staff of the network) were affected. They were not “let go” but “put back into FBN’s freelance pool to be used, as needed, elsewhere.” The hiring of “at-will” or “perma-lance” production staff is a common practice in nearly all cable based television programs, and Mediate understands that the effected staff understood that their employment would only last the duration of the show’s existence.

Cody Willard, Eric Bolling, FBN, Fox Business, Happy Hour, Rebecca Diamon

The Real Royal King

That’s a loss, but I don’t know any business man or woman who gets business information from FBN.
http://www.facebook.com/people/Vik-Sidhu/122608564 Vik Sidhu

It was an OK show I guess, but it got pretty tiresome after a while. It was suited more for the evenings, not 5pm when there’s a lot of business/earnings news still developing.

This channel really needs to get its act together though – the cancellation of this, its 5a morning show, adding Imus and scrapping weekends indicates that a) there’s not a lot of people watching and b) they have no clue what to do next.
http://www.facebook.com/people/Sandra-Spaulding/1253512686 Sandra Spaulding

Eric Bolling is a Rock Star. He is just what FBN needs.
http://www.facebook.com/people/Daniel-M-Chick/507482075 Daniel M. Chick

@Vik

The channel is three-years-old, not fourteen as is its parent news channel. They’re going down the very same path that Fox News did when it first began, which is to be expected from a relatively new channel.
Michael_T

Perhaps Neil Cavuto needs to make a decision as to whether he wants to manage FBN, or have shows (3 shows?) of his own.

Can he really wear so many hats?
nanan

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Big Dumb Ape

The need to get their act together at some point. FBN’s programming seems all over the map and — in my opinion — some of their on-air personnel are actually downright unlikeable.

Seriously, I’m an average middle of the road person, someone who is that classic “center right” person…I like Fox News overall…but the Fox BUSINESS anchors and its on-air personnel are some of the most snobby, arrogant, holier than thou people you’ll ever find on the planet. So hearing that these guys are out of a job actually makes me smile. Honestly, I realize it’s a business channel, but the FBN people’s sense of compassion during these hard economic times is downright bitter and cruel at times.

And that’s my problem with them — they’re pro-business, but also HUGE hypocrites. Seriously, watch Fox Business block and see if this isn’t the same scenario that plays out time and again. One minute they’ll be ripping Obama apart saying he’s anti-business…Obama is responsible for the economy doing badly…and as a result, he’s responsible for their being NO jobs available for the literally MILLIONS of people now out of work, who are desperately hoping to find one. And trust me, the FBN crew will cite any and all bad unemployment numbers to prove their point and to rip Obama even more…

…But THEN they’ll turn right around and say they’re ALSO against Congress extending unemployment benefits or anything of that nature to help people. The Fox business people will THEN go on a notorious tear saying “people getting unemployment benefits is making them lazy! They’re not going out and getting jobs!”

Huh? Excuse me? WHAT jobs? You mean the jobs you JUST SAID DON’T EXIST WHEN YOU WERE RIPPING OBAMA? Sorry, Fox Business crew — you can’t have it BOTH ways.
annejaa

I m feeling sad for this show as I was watching this show regularly and it was nice and interesting enough to keep me watching its every episode.
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StewartIII

ChickaBOOMer: Dour Happy Hour
http://chickaboomer.blogspot.com/2010/05/dour-happy-hour.html
MDT

To “The Real Royal King”

You know business people..?

I know business people..!

It’s like we’re cousins!

Are you saying the show “was a loss” because it was entertaining or from the jobs side of it..?

I’ve got 2 businesses and I liked it
and 4-5 of my friends are business people, they liked it…

Hey cuz, If you need to know more business people to broaden your horizons and to avoid the dreaded “knee-jerk”…I can point you to a few…heck we’re family!

Cousin MDT
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jdlaughead

I thought Happy Hour, was great, and couldn’t wait, till the show came on. We felt we were at the bar with then we we all sat in my game room watching the show.

A lot of people went to that bar to just watch them live, and I bet that they being cancelled,has hurt the Bull & Bear Business.

They should of just found another network, and run the same show there. I saw a lot of famous people on that show, and made a lot of money from their tips on the market.

I do hope somebody picks up the program and run it on another Network.

I no longer watch FOX!