Jane Skinner Leaving Fox News: “I’ve Decided To Take A Break From This Business”
Fox News anchor Jane Skinner announced at the end of her program, Happening Now, this afternoon that she would be leaving the network effective immediately. “I’ve decided to take a break from this business,” she said.
Skinner has been with FNC since 1998.
“This is my last day on the air at Fox,” she said, citing family reasons. Skinner’s husband, Roger Goodell, is the commissioner on the National Football League. She said he “has a job even busier than mine” and her “twin daughters, who have even busier lives still.”
“To do justice to this new life I’ve decided to take a break from this business,” said Skinner. “I want to be sure to thank our boss Roger Ailes for his understanding and for all these incredible opportunities.”
“We are going to miss you like oxygen,” said her co-anchor Jon Scott, fighting back tears. (Janice Dean stopped by for the announcement as well, crying.)
The circumstances call to mind when another daytime anchor left FNC five years ago – Linda Vester. She said at the time she was leaving DaySide to go on a one-year maternity leave, but never returned to the business.
Skinner didn’t mention a replacement replacement – she closed the show by saying viewers would see Scott tomorrow and adding “we’ll see you at the Super Bowl.” The official press release from Fox News follows the video of Skinner’s farewell.
> Update: Our Q&A with Jane Skinner
Video:
JANE SKINNER STEPS DOWN FROM ANCHOR ROLE AT FOX NEWS
FOX News Channel’s (FNC) Jane Skinner announced today on Happening Now that she would be stepping down from her position as co-anchor of the top rated daytime news program.
In making the announcement at the conclusion of today’s show, Skinner said, “It’s been a thrill to have been a part of FNC’s success over the past 12 years. My talented co-workers have shown how hard work and a great attitude pays off. However, my life has changed significantly in those 12 years, in wonderful ways that have created new responsibilities. I added a husband who became the NFL Commissioner and who has a job even busier than mine, and twin daughters with lives even busier still.”
She continued, “To do justice to this new life, I have decided to take a break from the business. I want to thank [FOX News Chairman & CEO] Roger Ailes for his understanding and for all the opportunities he has given me. I wish everyone at FNC continued success.”
A replacement for Skinner has not been named. Jon Scott will continue to co-anchor Happening Now joined by a variety of FNC’s news talent in the interim.
Roger Ailes, Chairman and CEO, FOX News, added, “Jane is a talented journalist and has been a loyal employee who has risen to every challenge presented to her over the last 12 years. We respect her decision and she will always be a member of the FOX News family.”
Skinner joined the network in 1998 as a general assignment reporter and has co-anchored FNC’s two-hour signature daytime news program, Happening Now since its 2007 inception. Previously, she anchored the afternoon edition of FOX News Live and before that she hosted and produced the popular “Skinnerville” segment on Studio B with Shepard Smith.
Prior to FNC, Skinner held an array of reporting and anchoring duties at various local news stations. She was a freelance reporter at NBC’s flagship station WNBC-TV in New York and before that, served as the primetime anchor for WITI-TV (FOX) in Milwaukee, WI. She was also a general assignment reporter for KMOV-TV (CBS) in St. Louis, MO and WCSH-TV (NBC) in Portland, ME.
FOX News Channel (FNC) is a 24-hour general news service covering breaking news as well as political, business and entertainment news. For over 100 consecutive months, FNC has been the most-watched cable news channel in the country. Owned by News Corp., FNC is available in more than 90 million homes.
###
