Bill Hemmer Reports starts on Fox News Channel Jan. 20, taking over the 3 p.m. slot following Shepard Smith’s departure in October. Hemmer shifts out of three-hour morning program America’s Newsroom.
The aim of the new show is for viewers to get “the whole picture,” Hemmer said, which is hard to get right in this complicated world. “I do believe, over time, if the viewer says he’s fair, the show is fair, I’ll consider that a success,” he told B&C.
The program will be a mix of breaking news and sit-downs with newsmakers. “Things are not set in stone,” he said. “It will be a development in progress.”
Hemmer will be out in the field now and then for the show. “When it’s necessary, the answer is yes,” he said. “I’ve done a lot of that in my 12 years at Fox.”
Jay Wallace, president and executive editor at Fox News Media, said the host is well suited to tackle news today. “His ability to cut to the heart of the story while humanizing major events has made him a standout talent in news,” said Wallace. “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.”
America’s Newsroom launched in 2009. Ed Henry succeeds Hemmer on the show, hosting alongside Sandra Smith.
Prior to joining Fox News in 2005, Hemmer was co-anchor on CNN’s American Morning and anchor at CNN Live Today and CNN Tonight.
Hemmer’s news sources include the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Washington Post, CNN, NBC News and of course Fox News. “I’m pretty much paying attention to as much as I can,” he said.
President Trump’s impeachment trial will give Hemmer plenty to work with, but as is the nature of breaking news, lots of other stuff will happen on the fly. “When you look at the calendar, you see the events coming up,” he said. “What you cannot see is what happens in between. So many things can’t be anticipated and we have to be ready for it.”
