Okay, I'm reaching for the Maalox!
September 21, 2006Fox News D.C. Bureau Chief Kim Hume to Depart
Kim Hume, one of the founding Fox News Channel hires, will leave her post as VP and Washington bureau chief after the mid-term elections. There was no immediate word about what might be next for Ms. Hume, who preceded her husband, Brit, to Fox News by several months in 1996.
Story continues below...
John Moody, Fox News senior VP for news and editorial, told the D.C. bureau staff Thursday morning that Ms. Hume had raised the prospect a couple of months ago. "I want to be direct and clear. This is Kim's decision," he said.
A Fox News spokeswoman said deputy bureau chief Bruce Becker will serve as interim bureau chief.http://www.tvweek.com/news.cms?newsId=10794
And the Fox press release:
September 21, 2006 03:59 PM Eastern TimeKim Hume to Leave Position as Fox News Vice President and Washington Bureau Chief; Bruce Becker Named Interim Bureau Chief
NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 21, 2006--FOX News Vice President and Washington Bureau Chief Kim Hume will leave her position after the midterm elections in November, announced John Moody, Senior Vice President, News Editorial. Bruce Becker will serve as an interim bureau chief overseeing all Washington based newsgathering efforts.
In making the announcement, Moody said, "I'd like to thank Kim for her dedication and commitment to raising the standard of Fox News throughout her ten years here. Her experience and instincts have been a driving force behind the success of the Washington bureau. She has made an indelible mark on the way we produce political news and her contributions will continue to benefit the network for years to come."
Hume added, "It's rare to have the opportunity to go out at the top of one's game. This was a wrenching decision to make. I've always wanted to finish well and that's what I'm doing."
Under Hume's leadership, the bureau covered every midterm and presidential election between 2000 and 2006, both the Iraq and Middle East wars, as well as the 2002 Washington area sniper attacks. Hume also notably led coverage in the aftermath of the September 11th terrorist attacks on the Pentagon. Additionally, she oversaw the network's coverage of the developments in Kenneth Starr's investigation of the relationship between former President Bill Clinton and Monica Lewinsky and the subsequent impeachment.
Prior to being named to his interim position, Becker served as deputy bureau chief in Washington. He has been with FNC since its inception in 1996, and oversees the network's Washington editorial newsgathering operation, where he has managed several area based breaking news events. Before joining FNC, Becker was the executive producer for FOX's affiliate news operation and also had stints at WTTG-TV (FOX) and WETA-TV (PBS).
FOX News Channel (FNC) is a 24-hour general news service covering breaking news as well as political, business and entertainment news. For more than four years, FNC has been the most watched cable news channel in the nation and currently presents 11 out of the top 12 programs in cable news. Owned by News Corp., FNC is available in more than 85 million homes.
http://home.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/index.jsp?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20060921005855&newsLang=enI'm hoping this means she wants to do things like write or teach. If not it's a preliminary step towards Brit leaving. Maybe CBS is already looking to go in a different direction after, what, two weeks of Katie?