Alan Colmes to Depart Top Rated Hannity & Colmes

Breitbart.com ^ | 24 NOV 08 | dcbryan1

[DCBryan1]

FOX News Channel’s (FNC) Alan Colmes will relinquish his role as co-host of Hannity & Colmes at the end of the year.

In announcing his decision, Colmes said, “I approached Bill Shine (FNC’s Senior Vice President of Programming) earlier this year about wanting to move on after 12 years to develop new and challenging ways to contribute to the growth of the network. Although it’s bittersweet to leave one of the longest marriages on cable news, I’m proud that both Sean (Hannity) and I remained unharmed after sitting side by side, night after night for so many years.”

Colmes will continue to have a presence on FNC as he will serve as a liberal commentator on a variety of FOX News programming, including Foxnews.com’s The Strategy Room and continue hosting his radio program, The Alan Colmes Show on FOX Talk, a division of FOX News Radio. He will also begin developing a weekend program.

Shine said, “We’re very sorry to see Alan reach this decision but we understand his desire to seek other creative challenges in his career. We value his incredible hard work in making Hannity & Colmes the most successful debate program on cable news and we’re going to miss him on the show. Thankfully, he will begin developing a weekend pilot for us.”

FOX News Chairman & Chief Executive Officer Roger Ailes added, “Alan is one of the key reasons why FOX News has been such a remarkable success. We’re sad to see him leave the program but we look forward to his ongoing contributions to the network.”

Hannity & Colmes is the only FNC program which has remained in the same timeslot for 12 years, catapulting to number one in 2003 and never relinquishing the top spot. The second highest-rated program in cable news behind only The O’Reilly Factor, Hannity & Colmes averaged 3.3 million viewers nightly for the Nielsen month of October and is poised to mark 60 consecutive months at number one at the end of November.

Hannity added, “Not only has Alan been a remarkable co-host, he’s been a great friend which is rare in this industry — I’ll genuinely miss sparring with such a skillful debate partner.”

Throughout his 12 year tenure on Hannity & Colmes, Colmes has interviewed numerous key political figures, including: President Elect Barack Obama, Senator Hillary Clinton (D-NY), Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV), Senator Ted Kennedy (D-MA), DNC Chairman Howard Dean and former Vice President Al Gore.

FOX News Channel (FNC) is a 24-hour general news service covering breaking news as well as political, entertainment and business news. For nearly seven years, FNC has been the most watched cable news channel in the nation. Owned by News Corp., FNC is available in more than 90 million homes.

[Kellykoop]

I cannot stand Beckel. I'm not usually into name-calling, but that guy is a major jerk! Ellis Henican is another one I hope doesn't get it.

I could handle Kirsten Powers or Pat Caudell.

[Kellykoop]

Oops...I mean Cadell.

[DallasMike]

I’ve corresponded several times with Colmes. I disagree with most of his views, but he was always very courteous and respectful. I certainly can’t say the same thing about most of the journalists that I’ve exchanged emails with.

I, for one, will miss Alan.

[Ann Archy]

Pat ??? Shades of Alan Colmes.

[HowlinglyMind-BendingAbsurdity]

re: liberal dumber than Hannity

Does Biden have any immediate plans? His Tourette's Freudian slips would be about right for this gig. Can you see him sparring with Ann Coulter as a guest?

[Kellykoop]

I'd corrected myself in the very next post...I meant Pat Cadell, not Caudell (in the pic below, he's the guy on the right). I like him a lot better than Alan. He's one of the more reasonable libs out there. He's on H&C a lot, generally with Ann Coulter.

[hinckley buzzard]

The continued existence of Alan Colmes is a standing rebuke to any Darwinian who believes in natural selection or survival of the fittest. It has been an insult to thinking Americans for Fox to have presented Colmes as if he were a normal fully evolved hominid and worthy of airtime. He would be a far better fit in GEICO commercials.

[hinckley buzzard]

Just let Hannity have his own show like O’Reilly, he doesn’t need a counter-voice, he’ll debate his guests

Agree. The food-fight has outlived its usefulness as a format. Anyway, isn't this suppoed to be the age of "post-partisanship?" We can mark Colmes's leaving with a verse of Kumbaya.

[pray4liberty]

Alan is just bit funereal looking, don’t ya think?

He supposedly has a very beautiful wife. Love is blind.

[EQAndyBuzz]

“I’m proud that both Sean (Hannity) and I remained unharmed after sitting side by side, night after night for so many years.”

Gee, a fatso and fruitloops moment. How quaint.

[singfreedom]

Not necessarily and she's just as dumb. That would be no improvement. Dick Morris might make it interesting, in a more non-confrontational manner.

As for Colmes leaving, I hope the door hits him in the a*s!

[Long Island Pete]

Good luck Alan. Although I have almost never agreed with you, I do enjoy hearing the other side, no matter how wrong it might be. Although you are a big time leftist, there were times you did make me laugh with your humorous side.

[SMM48]

Just don’t bring in Bob Beckel. That guy is insufferable.

Bingo! Beckel was the first name that came to mind for the CREEP's replacement. Won't matter to me since I do not watch H&C anyway.

[Brainhose]

LOL! That's a good match. He always reminded me of Gollum.
"Obama my precious. Must have Obama we must"

[Stourme]

Maybe they’ll hire Al Franken after he loses the recount (crossing fingers).

Oh no way....pleeeeese no way. Al Franken being any where near the senate is bad enough....but don't give him a forum.

Does anyone remember when Franken was on SNL (way back in the day) and his skit would always start with "Brought to you by the American Communist Party..."?

[Stourme]

what about the hannity and Susan Estrich show (see above)?

Nah, I can't stand her. She's not insightful...she's not entertaining. Bob Beckel would be good....he'd be entertaining at least.

[Stourme]

How about this, noob? Alan Colmes is as ugly as his politics and his debating style. Your other posts seem to indicate you prefer Alan to Sarah Palin. What’s up with that, noob?

If calling me names makes you high five yourself..then, go you. Your eWit is simply awe inspiring. I bet all the handicapped kids in your trailerpark fear you. Go you.

[uncitizen]

My daughter saw him walking down the street in NYC recently. She called me and said “Mom, what’s that guys name that’s on that show on Fox? The really ugly guy?” I said “Alan Colmes”. She said “well i just saw him and i knew it was him because there is nobody else that could possibly be that ugly.”

OK, that wasn’t nice. May God forgive us for making that judgment.

[ozzymandus]

Maybe you’re just on the wrong site. Making fun of handicapped kids and people who live in trailer parks while defending Alan Colmes and trashing Governor Sarah Palin, plus whining that being called a “noob” is name calling sound more like something that belongs on a leftie site. I’d call you a troll, but you’d burst into tears and call the ACLU.

[Stourme]

Maybe you’re just on the wrong site. Making fun of handicapped kids and people who live in trailer parks while defending Alan Colmes and trashing Governor Sarah Palin, plus whining that being called a “noob” is name calling sound more like something that belongs on a leftie site. I’d call you a troll, but you’d burst into tears and call the ACLU.

Weak and silly.