Sean Hannity is reportedly gearing up to take over Tucker Carlson's 8 p.m. Fox News time slot after the conservative commentator's bombshell firing in late April.
The 61-year-old, who broke the record last year for longest running primetime cable news host, made his debut on the notoriously conservative network in 1996 and currently helms a political talk show named after himself.
"FOXNEWS is preparing to announce an ambitious new schedule," The Drudge Report said on Wednesday, May 17. "A schedule where every hour of primetime will change! TOP SOURCE TELLS DRUDGE: ‘IT’S OUR BOLDEST AND MOST FEARLESS LINE-UP EVER’…"
The report also noted that Fox News personalities Jesse Watters — who currently occupies the 7 p.m. slot — and Greg Gutfeld — whose late night show airs at 11 p.m. — would also be included in the new primetime lineup, though no further information was given.
Fox News has yet to announce the change, and a spokesperson for the major news network denied Drudge's scoop.
"No decision has been made on a new primetime line-up and there are multiple scenarios under consideration," the rep said in a statement released on Wednesday.
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This comes less than a month after the network confirmed they were parting ways with Carlson after four years.
"We thank him for his service to the network as a host and prior to that as a contributor," Fox said in a statement at the time, before clarifying that Tucker Carlson Tonight's 8 p.m. time slot would temporarily be filled by FOX News Tonight with a rotating list of guest hosts.
The sudden and unexplained firing left friends and fans shocked — including Hannity.
"It’s very hard," he said on a late April installment of his radio show. "My phone has been blowing up all day. The hard part for me is I don’t have a clue… I have no idea. Was it Tucker’s decision? Was it Fox’s? Was it a mutual agreement that they had? I don’t know."
"I guess people think that because I’ve been there the longest that I’d have some knowledge or understanding of what’s going on, but… I just don’t," Hannity added. "For those who think I should, I say to those people: ‘I don’t own the company.’"
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The spokesperson told Mediaitethat Fox News had yet to make a decision.
