“Middle-Of-The-Road Guy” Bill Hemmer Signs New Contract With Fox News

by Steve Krakauer | 9:45 am, July 12th, 2010

» 14 comments

Fox News anchor Bill Hemmer is profiled today by The Washington Post‘s Howard Kurtz and talks about the reason for America’s Newsroom‘s success, the ideology booking discrepancy and more.

But Kurtz also reveals Hemmer, like his colleague Greta Van Susteren recently, has re-upped with the network.

Kurtz writes Hemmer “recently signed a multi-year, multimillion-dollar contract that has not yet been announced.”

The CNN host and media critic also looked at Hemmer’s show for the month of June, and saw a discrepancy in the amount of Republican and Democratic guests. But Hemmer said the difference doesn’t makes his show any less ‘fair and balanced.’ “If the booking leans one way, it’s the responsibility and duty of me as the host, the presenter, the interviewer, to make sure the topic is evenly treated,” he said.

FNC Senior Vice President Michael Clemente praised Hemmer in the column: “He’s a wholesome reporter, he’s from Ohio, he grew up in a large family, he has an innate curiosity and he’s likable…he’s almost an Everyman, a decent guy.”

As for the two hour morning news block, now hosted by Hemmer and Martha MacCallum, the ratings show the success very clearly: it is averaging “1.3 million viewers this year, more than the combined audience for CNN, MSNBC and HLN.” Interestingly it is the health care debate last summer that Hemmer says was a “turning point” for the news program. “We covered those town hall meetings with greater vigor than our competition, and we were rewarded with viewers,” he told Kurtz. “It was better television.”

It’s hard to argue that “better television” didn’t also mean more polarizing, politically one-sided television. That goes back to the booking debate. Hemmer says, despite the guests, it’s his responsibility to make sure the subject matter is “evenly treated.” It’s an important distinction, and one that the Fox News news hours continue to make. From 9amET-4pmET, the topics and guest list may look a bit different than CNN or MSNBC, but the goal is approaching the topics and guests from a position of even-handedness. It’s worked well for Hemmer since his time at CNN – and now he’ll be at Fox News continuing navigating that fine, but important, line for at least several more years at the network.

(Image by Helayne Seidman For The Washington Post)

Bill Hemmer, fnc, fox news

notsofast

it is averaging “1.3 million viewers this year, more than the combined audience for CNN, MSNBC and HLN.””

hahaha!
Moderate

“he’s from Ohio”

On MSNBC, you would be told that the people in Southern Ohio are racists because they tend to vote Republican.

Hemmer plays devil’s advocate very well, when he has an unbalanced guest.
ImNotBlue

It took a while for me to get used to Hemmer… especially a few years ago. But after he worked with Megyn Kelly for a while, I think his style really changed. He relaxed a lot more in front of the camera. I was disappointed when they split them up, because they were a great duo. But Hemmer has shows that no matter who the co-host, he’s retained the relaxed persona, has fun in front of the camera, and does a great job delivering the news. I’d say at this point, he’s just behind Sheppard in terms of delivery and presentation.
Moderate

“1.3 million viewers”

That is more than Olbermann gets during prime time, he should get paid more than Olbermann.
C0nstant

how many times have you heard “we invited (insert your favorite libpussy’s name here) to the program and they declined”
TfT

When Howie starts evaluating the guests on his own network he can start criticizing others. But as long as Howie continues to give CNN a pass, while criticizing the other networks, Howie has zero credibility.

Typical CNNer….thinks CNN is the be all end all of “real journalism” and “down the middle” reporting, while CNN itself is so left of center it isn’t funny.

Poor Howie, looking for attention and getting hammered for his unreliable reporting.
Zakk

Speaking of Kurtz, where are the articles about CNN shredding (editing) the Rush Limbaugh sound bites this weekend? You know the ones, the ones where they literally spliced together sound bites with NO context then just asked “Is he a racist?”. Hey, Kurtz, how about going after them? I’ll be here, holding my breath. Matter of fact, Mediaite, where is your article about this blatant abuse of the editing booth?
Averreauxii

I am a left leaner and NOT an FNC fan but I like Hemmer. He’s a great journalist and as said above, properly challenges his guests with opposing viewpoints. He’s not partisan like Megyn Kelly is.
Gary West

Bill:

Each morning when interviewing Republican guest, you seem over anxious about what will happen if Obama
isn’t given a budget increase. I’ll list you some nice things that happen if this country has to live within what
we take in each month.

1. We will save over two trillion dollars.
2. Obama will have to now earn his keep. He will have to comply with the law and pay the obligations
the law tells him to do first and set priorities for the rest of the money coming in.
3..He will have to finally end corruption, end useless federal make work jobs and do things such
as reduce bloated salaries.
4. Keep him off golf course and worrying about where the nex dollar is coming from..Hey it was his job
to come up with a budget. Any Executive in the industry would have already been fired by the board
of directors based on his poor performance.
5. The Chinese won’t have stay up at night wondering if they will ever get their money back.
6. This country may finally turn around and businesses start investing some money..
Ikjaklovics

What is the tolal amount of unemployment checks paid monthly??? If you add all the new people applying for unemployment what do you get??? the monthly totals mean 0
Ikjaklovics

the Chinese don’t care they have all the money they need. Maybe they can foegive the loan’s ???
Mary Anne Welsh

I WOULD LIKE SOMEONE ON THE FOX NEWS ASK A QUESTION OR TWO OF THE CONGRESS AND GET AN ANSWER DURING THE MORNING SHOWS 8AM…..
1. WHY NOT HAVE THE CONGRESS STOP/HALT/VOTE DOWN THERE LIFE LONG SALARY AND MEDICAL INSURANCE AFTER THEY HAVE COMPLETED THEIR TIME IN OFFICE.
2. WHY DOESN’T CONGRESS STOP/HALT/VOTE DOWN ALL OF THE MONIES WE ARE SENDING TO ALL OTHER COUNTRIES.
3. IT TOOK US 6 MONTHS TO GET OUR DAUGHTER-IN-LAW INTO THIS COUNTRY THE HONEST AND LEGAL WAY FROM ENGLAND WHO ALSO HAS A MASTERS DEGREE IN TEACHING. EVERYONE SHOULD/MUST FOLLOW THE RULES.
4. CONGRESS AND THE PRESIDENT SHOULD HAVE TO USE THE SAME MEDICAL INSURANCE THAT THE REST OF THE COUNTRY USES.
5. HAVE CONGRESS DISALLOW THE SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS FROM HAVING OFFICE IN THE CAPITAL, QUIT PAYING THEM, MAKING IT ILLEGAL FOR ANY OF THEM FROM CONTACTING ANYONE HOLDING A GOVERNMENT POSITION.

I HAVE ASKED THESE QUESTIONS OF FOX NEWS FOR MANY MONTHS. SO FAR, IT SEEMS THAT NO ONE HAS HAD THE STRENGTH, TO PUT IT MILDLY, TO ASK THESE QUESTIONS ON DAYTIME TV.

MARY ANNE WELSH
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1827824213 Audrey De Jesus

Bill Hemmer——Stay on that Florida voter fraud.. why we need photo I.D. .. Also Obama is refusing to provide Florida officials with visas info ?? Is obvious that Democrat want illegals to vote.
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1827824213 Audrey De Jesus

Chinese are our # 1 enemy, wake up….Chinese are friends with countries that hate us….why are we helping our # 1 enemy ?? Is beyond me..