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People and Politics by Patrick Roberts

Will Rupert Murdoch fire Sean Hannity over Tea Party fundraiser?

Posted on Saturday, April 17, 2010 at 10:01 PM

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So Sean Hannity was charging admission to his show at a Tea Party rally at the University of Cincinnati it now transpires.

He intended to give the money to the Tea Party,essentially making his show and the Fox Network a fundraising arm of the Tea Party.

That may well be a firing offence especially when Rupert Murdoch had just made it clear that Fox did not support the Tea Party. Speaking earlier this week he said he did not think Fox News "should be supporting the Tea Party."

Though a rock ribbed conservatives Murdoch is also a realist who knows the Tea Party could hinder, not help the Republican Party he avidly supports get back into power by pulling that party too far to the right .

But Sean Hannity looks like he is taking the opposite stance.

There can only one winner as a long list of fired journalists will tell you when you battle Rupert Murdoch--and it ain'y you .

The signs are ominous for Hannity . Yahoo news is reporting that " Popular Fox News host Sean Hannity is reportedly in the doghouse with executives at the conservative-leaning cable network for charging admission to attend a scheduled taping of his show from a Tea Party rally at the University of Cincinnati yesterday — with the proceeds going to the rally's organizers."

Bill Shine, Fox News' executive vice president of programming, stated that that the network "never agreed to allow the Cincinnati Tea Party organizers to use Sean Hannity's television program to profit from broadcasting his show." He added, "When senior executives in New York were made aware of this, we changed our plans for tonight's show."

Network executives were said to "furious" with Hannity.

They're furious for one reason only -- they know Murdoch is furious.

How on earth did Hannity think he could get away with such a stunt, given that he works for Fox News and he would have shredded their last claim to be 'fair and balanced' if it turned out they were hosting fundraisers for the Tea Party?

He may be about to find out what a dreadful mistake he has made.

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Monsoonman | Apr 21, 2010, 04:59 PM EDT

Hahaha!!! Dream on socialists, the Irish conservatives have propelled Fox to the top of the heap. Mr. Murdoch will never fire Hannity or O'Reilly...He could boot alan colmes, or geraldo though, that wouldn't hurt ratings one iota.

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Sungold | Apr 21, 2010, 05:56 AM EDT

Well, Hannity still seems to be working for Fox, so maybe the point is moot.

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TaranOconner | Apr 20, 2010, 10:18 PM EDT

Hannity has more sense in his little finger than the old Fool Murdoch can garner rounding up ALL his advisors. pflynn70, I disagree----Murdoch IS stupid---witness him trying to hassle Google about 'Free' web content. Murdoch's an Idiot to bother Google, which sends TONS of Money to Murdoch's advertisers via Google links.

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pflynn70 | Apr 20, 2010, 04:49 PM EDT

If Murdock is mad at Hannity, I'm sure he will take him to the "woodshed" However, Hannity has one HUGE FOLLOWING and with that comes bucks$$$ to Fox, Murdock may be mad but he is not stupid. Fox is still the best place to get straight news, fair & balanced.

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SouthSideIrish | Apr 20, 2010, 04:48 PM EDT

Hey Galway2001 - apparently it wasn't "free" speech. You had to pay to hear the speech and the money went to a political party from a news organization. That's the issue. Do you have any examples of a "mainstream" liberal news organization holding fundraisers for the democratic party?

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911victim | Apr 20, 2010, 01:06 PM EDT

If you want biased reporting just check into CBS, ABC, CNN, NY Times etc.

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traveler51 | Apr 20, 2010, 02:15 AM EDT

Fox, "fair and unbiased"? Surely, you jest! Like other extreme conservatives, the rules only apply to "others".

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plasticpaddy | Apr 19, 2010, 08:55 PM EDT

ha ha Southernpride, I'm a Sinn Fein member!

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galway2001 | Apr 19, 2010, 08:21 PM EDT

If they fire sean hannity i will never ever again watch fox news or fox and friends,it seems we no longer have fredom of speach in this country unless we agree with the liberal

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pacmanisback | Apr 19, 2010, 05:54 PM EDT

I have story for ya:CENSORSHIP ALIVE AND WELL AT IRISH CENTRAL. Please look into it for me...thanks

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GuinnessGrrl | Apr 19, 2010, 04:07 PM EDT

Hannity's little tic-tac brain in that gianormous skull of his probably couldn't comprehend he shouldn't be charging admission!

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thomregister | Apr 19, 2010, 03:16 PM EDT

Add to dat, gramar chek to!

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FastEddy | Apr 19, 2010, 01:23 PM EDT

No, however ... "Freedom of press is reserved for those who own one." - William R. Hearst.