Sean Hannity Breaks Cable News Prime Time Record
Fox News host Sean Hannity broke an impressive record on Thursday, overtaking Larry King as the longest-running prime time cable news host.
April 21st marks 25 years, six months, and 15 days of Hannity hosting in prime time on Fox News. The highly-rated host doesn’t seem likely to stop anytime soon.
Hannity, 60, first debuted on Fox News during its launch in 1996. He began his record-breaking run hosting Hannity & Colmes, launched on October 7, 1996, alongside the late Alan Colmes. The show featured the two hosts debating various issues, each taking a different perspective – with Hannity on the right and Colmes on the left.
The show was a hit in the ratings and eventually took over its time-slot competitor, the iconic Larry King Live. In 2002 Hannity & Colmes became the highest-rated show on cable in the key 25-54 age demographic and in 2003 took over number one in terms of total viewers as well. King set his record as the king of prime time, running from June 3, 1985 to December 16, 2010.
After Colmes’ departure in late 2008, the show was rebranded as Hannity and launched in early 2009. From 2017 to 2019 Hannity was the top-rated show on cable news in the demo and from 2017 to 2020, it was the top show on cable in terms of total viewers.
Hannity is known for his hard-hitting commentary and in recent years has been a close ally of Donald Trump. “He basically has a desk in the place,” a Trump White House adviser told The Washington Post in April 2018.
“Some aides think of Hannity as Trump’s ‘shadow’ chief of staff — perhaps more influential than White House chief of staff John Kelly,” read reports at the time.
Hannity has repeatedly commented on his role in the media ecosystem and his relationship with prominent leaders in the country.
As he told Forbes’ Andy Meek this week:
I’m very clear with my audience that as a member of the press, I also give opinion. I don’t hide my conservatism. I’m a registered conservative. I tell people who I’m voting for, what politicians I like and why I like them. So that’s sort of like the editorial in the Op-Ed pages of a newspaper. And then we do culture and sports. So what I say is, as a member of the press, I’m like a whole newspaper.
Hannity’s prominent position has helped him land interviews with some of the world’s most influential people. Besides Trump, he has interviewed everyone from President George W. Bush to Mel Gibson and Michael Moore to world leaders like Benjamin Netanyahu and cultural mainstays like Kim Kardashian.
Fox News Media CEO Suzanne Scott commented on Hannity’s milestone, noting, “Sean’s authenticity and insightful commentary have created one of the most enduring connections with our audience and it’s been an honor to watch him over the years. A FOX News original, he has helped innovate the industry, and we are incredibly proud of his extraordinary success.”
Hannity added, “I am extremely grateful to FOX News Media and to our loyal, dedicated viewers whom I am proud to serve every night.”
