Fox—or more correctly, the Murdoch spawn—are facing a conundrum. It’s no secret they dislike Hannity. When Sean was displaced from the 9 pm hour to make room for Megyn Kelly, they were hoping he’d quit and go somewhere else. Instead, Hannity doubled down, worked harder than ever (and his work ethic is legendary) and made his show even more successful.
Now, with the talent upheaval at FNC (and the failure of The Five at 9 pm), the network had no choice but to return Hannity to that timeslot. And he’s delivered some very impressive numbers so far. Obviously, they will level off in time, but there’s no doubt Sean is powering the resurgence of FNC in primetime.
Hannity (by my calculation) is about two or two and a half years away from the end of his current contract. He is acutely aware of how he has been treated in recent years, and the fact the younger Murdochs detest him. But with the ratings and revenue he’s delivering, they can’t afford to let him walk away. So, Sean will extract his revenge by getting his biggest contract yet, and probably well before the current deal expires. I believe he’s just shy of $20 million a year at FNC, and the next contract will probably make him the highest-paid talent in cable news.
I’m not a huge Hannity fan, but I admire him for sticking to conservative principles and his amazing work habits. So, the Murdochs better prepare to back the Brinks truck up to FNC and give Hannity the richest deal in cable news. He’s earned it.
My only complaint about Hannity is his way too long monologue which is usually a rehash of stuff from the night before. The longer his monologue goes on, the more whiney he sounds. I have his talking points memorized.