Here's How Crucial Sean Hannity Is to Fox News Channel

Phew! For a minute there, Fox News looked like it was going to lose Sean Hannity (too).

On Tuesday, the conservative cable news host’s cryptic social media behavior led many to wonder if he was leaving the cable news network. Instead, on his actual 10 p.m. ET self-titled show, Hannity reaffirmed that he will stick with Fox as long as it wants him. His leaving would have been a big problem for Fox News Channel, which is not without problems these days.

In April, the network fired its biggest ratings magnet, Bill O’Reilly, after reports that he and the network had paid out $13 million to settle complaints accusing him of sexual harassment and other impropriety. The network’s founder, Roger Ailes, died last week, months after he left in disgrace after facing his own accusations of sexual harassment.

Last week, MSNBC beat both CNN and Fox News in weekday primetime among both total viewers and the key news demo for the first time ever. However, Fox News continues to lead MSNBC and CNN in all categories for the month of May.

Also Read: Sean Hannity Backs Off Seth Rich Conspiracy Theory 'At This Time' (Video)

Here’s how important Hannity — and “Hannity” — are to Fox News.

In the first quarter of 2017, “Hannity” handed FNC its highest-rated quarter ever in the 10 pm. ET time slot, hauling in 2.9 million total viewers on average, with 668,000 of them coming from the key 25-54 demographic.

That overall audience haul made “Hannity” the fifth-most-watched series on cable news. In the main demo, “Hannity” was the third-biggest series across cable news. In other words, “Hannity” helped Fox News achieve primetime growth of 20 percent overall and 19 percent in the demo.

Good thing for the network he’s sticking around.

Also Read: Sean Hannity Slams 'Liberal Fascism' of Media Matters in Twitter Rant: 'They Hope to Get Me Fired'

In April, “Hannity” took how the bronze by both above-mentioned metrics, when FNC’s prime was up 28 percent overall and 42 percent in the demo.

Nowadays, without “The O’Reilly Factor” as a lead-in anymore, “Hannity” will likely decline a bit in TV ratings — but it also doesn’t have a whopper of a show standing in its way as far as the rankings are concerned.

“Hannity” had no Nielsen issues last night, however. The Twitter-hyped episode soared 50 percent in total viewers and 68 percent in the main demo versus the same day in 2016.

In other words, with no O’Reilly, no Megyn Kelly and no Greta Van Susteren, Fox News will likely keep the happy-to-be-here Hannity for as long as humanly possible.

The Evolution of Roger Ailes, From 'The Mike Douglas Show' to Fox News Innovator (Photos)

The television executive has evolved from producing a talk-variety show to running one of the biggest satellite news television channel in the U.S.
Fox News
Born and raised in Ohio, Roger Ailes attended Ohio University as a young man, majoring in radio and television. During his time there, he served as station manager for the university's WOUB radio for two years.
Ohio University
Ailes worked his way up to executive producer on the syndicated daytime talk show "The Mike Douglas Show," which began as a local program in Cleveland before expanding nationwide.
Westinghouse Broadcasting Company
In 1968, Ailes got an Emmy nod when "The Mike Douglas Show" was nominated for Outstanding Achievement in Daytime Programming, ultimately losing to NBC's "Today" show.
After first meeting Richard Nixon on the set of "The Mike Douglas Show," Ailes was hired by the then-presidential candidate to be his media advisor during the campaign, which marked his first professional foray into politics.
Ailes continued consulting on presidential campaigns, serving as media consultant for three successful Republicans: Nixon, Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush.
Ailes produced the famous "revolving door" ad for Bush, which painted Democratic nominee Michael Dukakis as soft on crime. The piece was widely regarded as the most influential ad of the political cycle.
In 1988, Ailes co-authored a self-help book with Jon Kraushar. "You Are the Message" shared Ailes' tips for effective communication and public performances.
Simon and Schuster
In 1992, Ailes served as executive producer on a syndicated late-night talk show hosted by right-wing radio host Rush Limbaugh, which ran for four years before coming to an end in 1996.
Ailes Productions
Ailes was named president of CNBC in 1993, where he launched the new cable network America's Talking, which was shut down and replaced with future Fox News competitor MSNBC.
America's Talking
Media mogul Rupert Murdoch hired Ailes to serve as founding CEO and Chariman of the Fox News Channel in 1996, which soon grew to become the most popular cable news network in the country.
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In 2016, Ailes was accused of sexual harassment by ousted Fox News host Gretchen Carlson. In July, Carlson filed a lawsuit against Ailes, claiming years of inappropriate behavior and sexual advances.
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On July 20, 2016, Ailes was forced to resign from Fox News amid the growing outcry over the sexual harassment allegations.
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Ailes died on May 18, 2017 at age 77.