In late May 2017, the Fox News Channel said Sean Hannity was taking a scheduled break around Memorial Day weekend and would be back on Tuesday. The statement came as several advertisers were dropping his prime-time show. According to the Los Angeles Times, a Fox News spokesperson said: “Those who suggest otherwise are going to look foolish.”
The Los Angeles Times reported that the network would not comment on the advertiser departures and said Hannity was off for the rest of that week. The Hollywood Reporter reported that Kimberly Guilfoyle of “The Five” would fill in for him while he was away.
How the advertiser exits unfolded
The departures began on May 24, 2017. The Hollywood Reporter reported that Cars.com and Peloton had left the show, apparently over its coverage of the death of Seth Rich, a Democratic National Committee staffer who was killed in Washington in 2016. Cars.com told BuzzFeed News that it had been “watching closely” and decided to pull its advertising.
The Cars.com statement also said that advertising on a program does not mean a company agrees or disagrees with its content. It added that the company cannot influence content when it buys ad time.
Peloton wrote on Twitter that it had told its media agency to stop advertising on the show and that this would take a few days to take effect. HuffPost reported that the mattress retailer Leesa Sleep became the third advertiser to drop out. A spokesperson told HuffPost that the company adjusts its media buying every day and was no longer advertising on the show.
The count grew over the following days:
- Fortune reported on May 25 that at least six advertisers had cut ties.
- The Los Angeles Times, in its May 26 edition, listed at least seven that had reportedly asked to be pulled: Cars.com, Leesa Sleep, Casper, USAA, Peloton, Crowne Plaza hotels and Ring.
- The Washington Times reported on May 30 that, according to Media Matters, nine companies had said they would no longer advertise.
The Los Angeles Times said BuzzFeed News first reported the pullback. The Hollywood Reporter said BuzzFeed had called 50 of the show’s advertisers to ask whether they would stay.
The coverage behind the exits
The Hollywood Reporter reported that Fox News had retracted a May 16 story on Foxnews.com that said things similar to what Hannity had been saying on air. It also reported that Hannity had said on Tuesday night that he would temporarily avoid the topic. HuffPost reported that Washington police said they suspected Rich was shot during a robbery attempt. It added that there was no evidence his death was connected to leaked DNC emails.
Hannity and Media Matters
CBS News reported that Media Matters for America had published a list of companies advertising on the show. The group’s president, Angelo Carusone, was cited by the Washington Times on the count of departing advertisers. Hannity responded on Twitter on May 24. He said the organization was targeting his advertisers to try to get him fired, and he said some advertisers were being “inundated” with emails. CBS News reported that he made clear he had no plans to leave the network.
The episode was compared with an earlier case at the same network. The Los Angeles Times noted that advertisers began leaving “The O’Reilly Factor” in March 2017 after reports of a $13 million settlement of harassment claims. By early April every major advertiser had left that program. Bill O’Reilly was fired on April 19, 2017.
USAA reverses course
On May 30, 2017, the Washington Times reported that the financial services company USAA would resume advertising on “Hannity.” The company’s spokesman, Roger Wildermuth, said it had heard concerns from many members who watch and listen to these programs. USAA said it would also resume advertising on other programs where it had paused ads. These included MSNBC shows hosted by Rachel Maddow and Chris Matthews and CNN’s “The Lead with Jake Tapper.”
The Washington Times said the company’s decision to pull its ads had drawn an outcry from its military and veteran customers. The Washington Times also reported that Media Matters’ Carusone commented on Twitter that day. The reporting available does not detail Hannity’s return to air after the holiday.