Sean Hannity: Information and Much More from Answers.com
- ️Sat Nov 04 2006
| Sean Hannity | |
|---|---|
 Sean Hannity at King of Prussia Mall (2004) |
|
| Born | December 30 1961 (age 45) New York City, New York |
| Nationality | American |
| Known for | political commentary |
| Education | High School Diploma, Honorary Doctorate from Liberty University |
| Employer | Citadel Broadcasting, Fox News Channel |
| Occupation | Television personality/host, Talk radio host, political pundit & Author |
| Political party | Republican |
| Religious stance | Roman Catholic |
| Spouse | Jill Rhodes Hannity |
| Children | Patrick and Merri Hannity |
| Parents | Hugh J. and Lillian F. Hannity |
| Website | Hannity.com |
| [1] |
Sean Patrick Hannity (born December 30, 1961, in
New York City, New York) is an Irish American, conservative talk radio host (The Sean Hannity Show), co-host of
Fox News Channel's program Hannity &
Colmes, host of the Fox News weekend program Hannity's America, and
author of two books.
Early life
Hannity is the son of Hugh J. and Lillian F. Hannity. His paternal grandparents and his maternal grandparents immigrated from Ireland. He has two sisters, Joanne S. Hannity and Therese Grisham (Hannity). He grew up in Franklin Square, New York. During the late 1980s, Hannity worked in construction in Santa Barbara, California, and also as a bartender.[2] He has lived in Roswell, Georgia; Athens, Alabama; Lloyd Harbor, New York; and Santa Barbara, California. He married Jill Rhodes, a columnist for The Huntsville Times, on January 9, 1993. They have two children, Patrick and Merri Kelly Hannity.
Education
Hannity attended St. Pius X Preparatory Seminary in Uniondale in Long Island, graduating in 1980 with a high school diploma. He dropped out of New York University because of financial issues, and decided to pursue a radio career.[2] He received an honorary doctorate from Liberty University in 2005.[3][4][5]
Professional life
Sean Hannity is currently a nationally syndicated radio talk show host broadcasting from flagship station WABC (AM) in New York City, co-host of Hannity & Colmes, a Fox News political debate program, and host of Hannity's America, also on Fox News.
Hannity hosted his first talk radio show in 1989 at the volunteer college station at UC Santa Barbara, KCSB-FM. The show aired for 40 hours of air time[6] and, according to Hannity, he was terrible.[7] Hannity's weekly show was cancelled when KCSB management charged him with "discriminating against gays and lesbians" after two shows featuring the book The AIDS Coverup: The Real and Alarming Facts about AIDS by Gene Antonio. The station reversed its decision to dismiss Hannity due in part to a campaign conducted by the Santa Barbara Chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union. Hannity decided against returning to KCSB.[8]
After leaving KCSB, Hannity placed an ad in radio publications presenting himself as "the most talked about college radio host in America," and WVNN in Athens, Alabama (part of the Huntsville market) hired him to be the afternoon talk show host.[6] From Huntsville, he moved to WGST in Atlanta, filling the slot vacated by Neal Boortz, who had moved to competing station WSB. In September 1996 Roger Ailes, founder of the Fox News Channel, hired the then relatively unknown Hannity to co-host the television program Hannity & Colmes with Alan Colmes.
Hannity's radio and television shows draw praise from conservative politicians: "He has a great personality, and the tone counts for a lot," said Texas Sen. John Cornyn. "He's willing to ask questions and challenge the assumptions that many in the mainstream news media are not."[9] He also has been vocally critical of and has drawn criticism from progressive and liberal groups such as the progressive media watchdog group Media Matters for America which has stated that some of the remarks Hannity has made on his television and radio shows have been incorrect.[10]
Radio
- Further information: The Sean Hannity Show
Hannity's radio program is a conservative political talk show focusing on current issues and politicians.
The Sean Hannity Show began national syndication September 10, 2001 on over 500 stations nationwide. As of spring 2006, the program is heard by over 12.5 million listeners a week.[11] In 2004, Hannity signed a $25 million five-year contract extension with ABC Radio to continue the show through 2009.[12] The program was made available via Armed Forces Radio Network in 2006. In June 2007 ABC Radio and Radio Networks was sold to Citadel Communications.
Hannity and Colmes
- Further information: Hannity & Colmes
Hannity is a host of Hannity & Colmes, an American political debate television program on the Fox News Channel featuring Hannity and Alan Colmes as co-hosts. Hannity presents the conservative point of view with Colmes providing the liberal viewpoint. Hannity has had on air clashes with show guests such as Fr. Thomas J. Euteneuer of Human Life International who challenged Hannity on his public dissent from the Catholic Church on the issue of contraception.[13][14]
Freedom Concerts
Hannity has organized and sponsored Country-Western Music themed "Freedom Concerts" since 2003 to raise funds for the Freedom Alliance Scholarship Fund, a charity created by Oliver North to provide college scholarships to children with a parent severely disabled or killed in military action. The concerts have been supported by artists such as Martina McBride, Lee Greenwood, LeAnn Rimes, Montgomery Gentry, Darryl Worley, Charlie Daniels, and Michael W. Smith.
The Freedom Concerts were held annually in the Northern Star Arena at the Six Flags Great Adventure Amusement Park in Jackson, New Jersey through 2006. In 2007, the annual concert was expanded to a summer series held at locations across the USA, culminating with the September 11th event at Great Adventure marking the 6th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.[15]
Speakers at the Sept 11, 2007 concert included Oliver North, Newt Gingrich, Republican Presidential candidate Rudy Guliani and several conservative talk show hosts from WABC Radio.
Clear Channel
In January of 2007 Clear Channel Communications signed a groupwide 3 year extension with Sean Hannity on over 80 stations. The largest stations in the group deal included KTRH Houston, KFYI Phoenix, WPGB Pittsburgh, WKRC Cincinnati, WOOD-AM Grand Rapids, WFLA Tampa, WOAI San Antonio, WLAC Nashville, WREC Memphis and WTVN Columbus, OH.[16]
Hannity's America
In January 2007, Hannity began a new Sunday night television show on Fox News Channel called Hannity's America. The show is on Sundays at 9:00pm (Eastern).
Film
In the 2005 documentary film This Divided State, Hannity is shown speaking to the students of Utah Valley State College and members of the surrounding community. Hannity also appeared as a newscaster in the 1998 thriller The Siege.
Fundraiser
On Aug. 9, 2007, in Cincinnati, Hannity hosted a $250.00 a head fundraiser for 2008 presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani[17]
Hannidate
Since 2005, Hannity has run a dating service on his website, called "Hannidate," matching conservative or Republican-leaning singles. The stated purpose of Hannidate is to create a "place where people of like conservative minds can come together to meet."[18][19]
Bibliography
- Hannity, Sean (2004). Deliver Us From Evil: Defeating Terrorism, Despotism, and Liberalism, ReganBooks, ISBN 0-06-058251-0.
- Hannity, Sean (2002). Let Freedom Ring: Winning the War of Liberty Against Liberalism, ReganBooks, ISBN 0-06-051455-8.
Books and Columnists Critical of Hannity
Al Franken's book Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them includes a chapter of criticism on Hannity. Frank Rich, an opinion columnist for the New York Times criticized Hannity and Dick Morris for using the American flag on their book covers, saying they "use the Stars and Stripes as a merchandising tool for their own self-aggrandizingly patriotic screeds cashing in on their TV celebrity."[20]
See Also
References
Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to:
- ^ NNDB biography
- ^ a b Kurtz, Howard. "Radio's New Right-Fielder", Washington Post, January 14, 2002. Retrieved on 2006-11-04.
- ^ Inspirational speeches given at 2 college graduations
- ^ Sean Hannity Biography
- ^ "Conservative voice box Hannity gets more talk time"
- ^ a b Sean Hannity's bio
- ^ CBS: 'Hannitization' Of America
- ^ http://www.fair.org/index.php?page=1158
- ^ HARD HITTER: Angry man Hannity a big draw at the Garden. Houston Chronicle. Sept. 2, 2004
- ^ Media Matters for America
- ^ TALKERS Magazine: The top talk radio audiences
- ^ "Sean Hannity Profile", WSGW 760, 2006. Retrieved on 2006-10-18.
- ^ [1]
- ^ McCain, Robert Stacy "Hannity at Odds with Catholic Doctrine" Washington Times, March 14, 2007
- ^ Cotter, Kelly-Jane. [September 11, 2001 attacks "LET FREEDOM SING"], Asbury Park Press, September 7, 2007.
- ^ Coyle, Sanda."Clear Channel Radio Renews Sean Hannity Through 2010", Clear Channel Radio, September 28, 2006.
- ^ http://www.nydailynews.com/news/wn_report/2007/08/19/2007-08-19_giulianis_foxy_pal_cash_flap.html
- ^ Hannidate website
- ^ Concord Monitor, 12/4/06. "Hannity's other side comes out on web: Fox News host fosters gay male hookups"
- ^ Had Enough Of the Flag Yet?
External links
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