Could Sean Hannity Be The Next High Profile Fox News Host To Leave?

Sean Hannity

Could Sean Hannity be the next to exit Fox News?

In the aftermath of the resignation of Fox News co-president Bill Shine officially on Monday, the media is getting hints Hannity could get out.

From The Daily Beast:

Shine was Hannity’s long-time ally whom he personally recommended the network hire two decades ago to produce Hannity & Colmes. In recent days, Hannity warned it would be the “total end” of Fox News should Shine leave, and he rallied conservative activists to back him up.

Initially, insiders said, Hannity’s army of lawyers had hoped to discuss with Fox ways of protecting his 8-year-old primetime show, amid fears that Lachlan and James Murdoch—fresh off the ousting of Bill O’Reilly—were looking to push the network away from hard-right politics.

However, with Shine’s departure on Monday, one source told The Daily Beast, there’s no reason for Hannity to stay.

“The network now belongs to the Murdoch sons,” another Fox insider said after learning that Shine was gone.

One insider speculates that the negotiations could end this week and Hannity might be out by Friday. Another said his final show could even be tonight or Tuesday evening, given Shine’s Monday resignation.

Fox News, however, said in a statement speaking on behalf of Hannity and the network: “This is completely untrue.”

There are rumors that Hannity has a “key man clause” in his Fox News contract that allows him to leave the conservative network at any time.

Should he leave, Hannity would be following several high profile hosts at Fox News including Bill O’Reilly and Megyn Kelly.