NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--FOX News Channel (FNC) has named Bill Hemmer to helm the 3pm/ET hour, announced Jay Wallace, president and executive editor of FOX News Media. In this role, he will lead all breaking news coverage as well as take over the hard news hour with the January 20th debut of Bill Hemmer Reports. In conjunction, Hemmer will depart FNC’s morning news program America’s Newsroom (9AM-12PM/ET) with a rotating journalist joining Sandra Smith until a permanent co-anchor is announced.
In making the announcement, Wallace said, “Bill is an incredible newsman and his ability to cut to the heart of the story while humanizing major events has made him a standout talent in news. As we start gearing up for the 2020 election, we are thrilled to have him lead our news division through what will sure to be an eventful year.”
Hemmer added, “As a journalist, l am extremely grateful for this opportunity. 2020 will undoubtedly be a year of great significance. Leading our breaking news division with a signature hour has enormous value to me, personally, and to our audience. We’ve got a fantastic team here and I am excited to get to work.”
Emanating from the FOX News Deck, Bill Hemmer Reports will utilize state-of-the-art newsgathering technology along with the network’s leading correspondents to provide a comprehensive look at developing stories around the world. Hemmer will also lead a dedicated team of producers and information specialists who are prepared to interrupt regular programming with breaking news at a moment’s notice.
As the founding co-anchor of America’s Newsroom, Hemmer has helped drive the network’s morning news coverage since the program launched in 2009. In this capacity, he has interviewed numerous foreign dignitaries, leading politicians and newsmakers as well as anchored the network’s pre-noon breaking news coverage. The show has been number one in cable news since its inception, occasionally outpacing its broadcast news competition as well.
Most recently, Hemmer contributed to FNC's live coverage of the first open impeachment hearings against President Donald Trump in the House of Representatives. Averaging 2.5 million viewers across the five days of hearings, FNC’s coverage outperformed all of broadcast and cable, leading FNC to its highest rated week of the year. Previously, Hemmer, alongside Shannon Bream, co-anchored the 2018 testimony of former Federal Bureau of Investigation Director James Comey before the Senate Intelligence Committee.
He also notably conducted an exclusive interview with Attorney General William Barr in May 2019 from El Salvador, during which Barr discussed the 2016 presidential election for the first time on national television. In 2018, Hemmer reported live from the U.S. summit with North Korea in Vietnam as well as President Donald Trump’s meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin from Helsinki, Finland. In May 2017, he sat down with former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice for a wide-ranging interview. In 2016, Hemmer reported from France on the deadly terrorist attacks in Paris and provided live coverage of Pope Francis' first visit to the United States by reporting from various locations in New York City and Philadelphia.
Additionally, Hemmer has contributed to all of FNC’s special live election coverage since the 2008 presidential election. Notably, he moderated the candidate forum alongside co-anchor Martha MacCallum as part of its Republican presidential primary debate coverage in Cleveland, OH. According to Nielsen, the 2015 debate averaged 6.1 million viewers and 1.2 million viewers in the 25-54 key demographic. Hemmer and MacCallum also co-moderated the 7PM/ET debate on January 28th in Des Moines, IA, just days before the first caucus of the 2016 election. In addition to monitoring election night results on the signature "Bill-Board," he has also reported from the political conventions, and the campaign trail where he interviewed then-Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney in 2012 and then-Senator Barack Obama in 2008.
Since joining the network in 2005, Hemmer has served as one of FNC’s premier breaking news journalists. Throughout his tenure, Hemmer has provided extensive live coverage of several major stories, including the Boston Marathon bombing in 2013, the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, the aftermath of the 2010 earthquake in Haiti, as well as the Fort Hood military base shooting in 2009. In 2005, Hemmer traveled to England to cover the aftermath of the London terrorist attack as well as to Baton Rouge, LA to report on Hurricane Katrina relief efforts.
Prior to joining FNC, Hemmer served as co-anchor of CNN’s American Morning and anchor of both CNN Live Today and CNN Tonight. A recipient of several awards and honors, including an Emmy Award in 1996, Hemmer began his career as a weekend sports anchor for WCPO-TV (CBS) in Cincinnati, Ohio. He earned a B.A. in broadcast journalism from Miami University in Ohio.
FOX News Channel (FNC) is a 24-hour all-encompassing news service delivering breaking news as well as political and business news. The number one network in cable, FNC has been the most watched television news channel for more than 17 consecutive years. According to a 2019 Suffolk University poll, FOX News is the most trusted source for television news or commentary in the country, while a 2019 Brand Keys Emotion Engagement Brand Analysis survey found that FOX News was the most trusted cable news brand. A 2017 Gallup/Knight Foundation survey also found that among Americans who could name an objective news source, FOX News is the top-cited outlet. Owned by FOX Corporation, FNC is available in nearly 90 million homes and dominates the cable news landscape, routinely notching the top ten programs in the genre.
