On Thursday, Fox News Channel host Sean Hannity became the longest-running primetime cable news host at 25 consecutive years, six months, and 15 days, taking the top spot from the late Larry King. To put that further into perspective, Hannity’s 9,322 days as host on FNC are 291.31 times longer than the entire life of the hilarious failure that is CNN+.
Given that Hannity reached this milestone on the same day that CNN+ announced it would soon be taking its last breath, you wonder whether the late, great Rush Limbaugh had something to do with having those stars align.
In a press release, Hannity said he was “extremely grateful” to both Fox “and to our loyal, dedicated viewers” and Fox News Media CEO Suzanne Scott hailed his “authenticity and insightful commentary” who, as “[a] FOX News original...helped innovate the industry.”
Hannity spoke during his Thursday night show about the honor, saying he “didn’t believe” Fox executives when they “told me” that “[a]s of this program tonight, I officially passed the late and the great Larry King to become the longest running primetime cable news host in American history.”
Adding October 1996 felt “like yesterday” and “would have been a horrific bet” to think he’d have lasted this long, Hannity emphasized that he’s “grateful...to all of you in this audience” and “can’t thank you enough” to the point that “words simply cannot express” because “[y]ou absolutely make the show possible.”
Before thanking Fox News and his staff, Hannity also paid tribute to the late Alan Colmes, his co-host from October 1996 to January 2009 (click “expand”):
I want to also take a minute and thank my dear friend. He’s been gone way too long, died way too young. I started this journey with him, Alan Colmes. What a wonderful man, wonderful partner. He was woke before woke, but he was a good man and I miss him. He was a friend.
I’m also grateful to the best team on television, the best team on my radio show. I will tell you all the people that work on both shows, they work so hard so we can put on the best shows possible every day. We’re so committed to that. I’m really extremely grateful to Fox News for being amazing partners to me and for something that is very rare for people in this business in broadcasting. They give me the freedom, they allow me to be who I am, to be myself, and they’ve been amazing partners all these years — same with my radio partners.
I’d mention everybody by name but it will take up the entire show but to all of you and you know who you are, thank you and to all the people that have worked on my shows in the past, thank you as well.
Hannity also said he was “really blessed by God” in having given him “way beyond what I deserve in this life to do what I do and what I love every day.”
Before starting with the day’s news, he said he “want[ed] to be clear: I don’t plan on leaving anytime soon. So if you’re out in the left-wing media thinking, ah, that’s the end of Hannity, he’s done, uh-uh. We have a lot of news to cover and frankly a lot of elections to win and a country to fix.”
Guests proceeded to thank him throughout the show and his staff ended the show with a montage showing some of the famous guests, moments, and trips Hannity’s taken over the past 25 and a half years.
An emotional Hannity reacted afterward by signing off for the night saying: “Truly an undeserved life from God and from you, this great audience, you make it possible. I can’t thank you enough.”
To see the relevant FNC transcript from April 21, click “expand.”
FNC’s Hannity
April 21, 2022
9:00 p.m. Eastern[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: Breaking News; Hannity Becomes Longest-Running Primetime Cable News Host]
SEAN HANNITY: But, first, I want to start tonight with a very personal thank you. When the management of Fox came to me and told me what I’m about to tell you, I’ll be honest, I didn’t believe them at first. I asked, you need to go back and double and triple check that. But apparently, they’re correct. As of this program tonight, I officially passed the late and the great Larry King to become the longest running primetime cable news host in American history. A little hard, it feels like yesterday that I started to be very honest. If you would have made a bet in October ‘96 that I’d still be standing after all this time, it would have been a horrific bet, the long shot of all long shots. But I do want you to know how grateful I am to all of you in this audience. You absolutely make the show possible. I can’t thank you enough. Words simply cannot express my gratitude to — towards you. I want to also take a minute and thank my dear friend. He’s been gone way too long, died way too young. I started this journey with him, Alan Colmes. What a wonderful man, wonderful partner. He was woke before woke, but he was a good man and I miss him. He was a friend.
I’m also grateful to the best team on television, the best team on my radio show. I will tell you all the people that work on both shows, they work so hard so we can put on the best shows possible every day. We’re so committed to that. I’m really extremely grateful to Fox News for being amazing partners to me and for something that is very rare for people in this business in broadcasting. They give me the freedom, they allow me to be who I am, to be myself, and they’ve been amazing partners all these years — same with my radio partners. I’d mention everybody by name but it will take up the entire show but to all of you and you know who you are, thank you and to all the people that have worked on my shows in the past, thank you as well. I just feel really blessed by God, you know, the thing — the thing — hold these truths to be self-evident all men and women created it — but by the thing, you know, the thing, anyway. But I feel blessed. I really believe in God and I feel that way — I’ve got way beyond what I deserve in this life to do what I do and what I love every day. But I want to be clear: I don’t plan on leaving anytime soon. So if you’re out in the left-wing media thinking, ah, that’s the end of Hannity, he’s done, uh-uh. We have a lot of news to cover and frankly a lot of elections to win and a country to fix and my hope and my prayer is that I will be here with you all for many years to come. Thank you again. Apparently, my staff has a surprise later in the show, I’m not happy about it, but we’ll find out later.
(....)
9:57 p.m. Eastern
HANNITY: All right, as we mentioned at the start of the show tonight, apparently, as of tonight, we’ve become the longest-running prime time cable news show host in the history of cable news. I’m more shocked than anybody and my team — they may be in trouble after the show — put together some highlights from the past 25 years, as I cringe watch this. Take a look.
[VIDEO MONTAGE]
HANNITY: Truly an undeserved life from God and from you, this great audience, you make it possible. I can’t thank you enough.
