Bobby Burack
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CNN anchor Brian Stelter will release his new book, “Hoax,” this Tuesday. Several excerpts of the book, that will undoubtedly mirror a long hit piece on Fox News and President Donald Trump, have been published. One such drop included an Amazon preview that offered a line reporting the salary of Fox News stalwart Sean Hannity.
“At the center of the story lies Sean Hannity, a college dropout who, following the death of Fox News mastermind Roger Ailes, reigns supreme at the network that pays him $30 million a year.”
The language here is key. Stetler says the “network Fox News.” Hannity is also employed through iHeart Radio, which airs his nationally syndicated daily radio show. Hannity’s radio show trails only Rush Limbaugh’s in listenership. Presumably, Hannity receives another eight-figure salary from Premiere Networks.
Hannity’s athlete-like salary is sure to infuriate detractors, which is likely why Stelter reported it. But this number fits his current market value.
Before his ousting at NBC, Matt Lauer signed an extension that paid him $25 annually. Hannity’s value above replacement exceeds what Lauer’s was.
His primetime show, Hannity, routinely draws over 4 million viewers. At worst, Hannity ranks second to Tucker Carlson, who should be next-in-line for a groundbreaking extension. Even if Carlson’s future contract doesn’t match Hannity’s – Hannity is still the more famous, more impactful personality — it should eclipse all other news hosts.
Carlson and Hannity are in a nightly race for the top show in cable news. In the second quarter of 2020, Tucker Carlson Tonight recorded the highest-viewed cable news quarter ever with 4,331,000 million viewers. The record-breaking average was only 20,000 higher than Hannity’s. In July, Hannity topped Carlson with a slight 4.1 million to 4 million victory.
In recent years, media contracts have grown larger for the stars as lower-level talents have taken cuts. This spreads beyond political media.
Due to a bidding war between ESPN and CBS, Tony Romo re-signed with the latter for $18 million a year. This figure was first reported by the New York Post. Last fall, Stephen A. Smith inked a new contract with ESPN that, sources say, pays him around $8 million annually.
In a changing media landscape, the money for big-name talents is shifting toward those who own their content digitally. In 2020, Dave Portnoy, Bill Simmons, and Joe Rogan all cashed in for around $100 million.
Now, all eyes are on the expiring contract of Howard Stern.
I would be surprised if Brian Stetler has actually read a book that doesn’t have mostly pictures, much less written an actual book. The fact he has a cable news network show and that anyone takes him seriously is conclusive proof that our national news media is completely broken. His inability to comprehend even the most basic concepts of politics or media while hosting a show called “Reliable Sources” boggles the mind.
Brian Steltzer at CNN is there because Jeff Zucker loves him. He is like that kid in high school that everyone wanted to punch in the face but could not since he was well connected. CNN keeps that idiot on the air and has no plans not remove him. That tells me either Zucker is doing him a favor, or they know people hate him and will pay attention to him (Howard Stern pioneered that format).
Tony Romo 18 mil a year LOL what a joke that clown has always been way overpaid never won anything. Good for Sean worth every penny and then some
Haha. Big dreams, little reality.
Brian “Imagine if an anti-Trump news network existed” Stelter
i like Sean, and I’m sure he is a good guy, but his show is almost unwatchable. When he starts repeating for the 20,867th time the same rote litany rant prefacing every question or monologue, my ears and eyes start to bleed. Some producer needs to do an intervention, which is hard when a guy is making that kind of money.
We get it, Sean, move on for the love of God.
Hannity is cool but Tucker is the new standard for which every other host from every news channel should be measured. Dude calls balls and strikes. And he’s fucking hilarious .
I totally agree.
Humpty Dumpty Stelter is a hater who falsifies the truth without a qualm. Not a journalist. His “ book” will be all half truths and misinformation
After my first week in boot camp (1955), there were two boots in the company that I was in that were tossed out of the military under Section 8 of the US Military Code.
Section 8 includes unfit for military duty as judged by the company officer in charge. Physicality had nothing to do with it with those two boots. It was more like 18 year old kids with 12 year old mentalities.
Those momma boys were Sectioned 8 as it was normally referred to by the troops.
Therefore, I must say that Brian Stelter shows all the characteristics to be a Sectioned 8 candidate even at his current age.