Hannity and Colmes
Hannity and Colmes is a primetime news and politics program airing on the Fox News Channel. On the program, liberal pundit Alan Colmes discusses and debates major events of the day with conservative pundit Sean Hannity and a rotating crop of guests. The show debuted on the network in 1996. On November 24, 2008, Colmes announced his departure from the show at the end of that year.1 Hannity will thereafter serve as the program's sole host.2
Fast Facts
- Airs: Weekdays, 9 pm and midnight
- Debut: October 6, 1996
- Network: Fox News Channel
- Longest-running program on Fox News
- Colmes leaves the air as Fox's #2 rated show, behind The O'Reilly Factor1
- Averaged 3.3 million viewers in October 20081
- Colmes will continue to host his radio show1
- Both hosts are from Long Island, New York
Criticism of the Show
Hannity and Colmes was conceived as Fox News' answer to a debate program, similar in style to CNN's Crossfire.1 Hannity was hired first and then the search began for what was known as an LTBD - "a liberal to be determined."3 After producers settled on Colmes, he was occasionally derided by bloggers and pundits as a "Fox News liberal" or "token liberal," there to provide a false impression of political "balance" while really turning over the show to the more forceful Hannity.456 Daily Show host Jon Stewart has referred to the show as "Hannity and Whoever" to emphasize this point, and Colmes has also been criticized as too meek and moderate by Al Franken.7
Related Pages on Mahalo
Sean Hannity | Alan Colmes | Fox News Channel | Hall and Oates Daily Show | Hall and Oates
Categories
