FOX NEWS CHANNEL’S SEAN HANNITY TO MODERATE THE RED STATE VS. BLUE STATE DEBATE BETWEEN FLORIDA GOVERNOR RON DESANTIS AND CALIFORNIA GOVERNOR GAVIN NEWSOM
Debate to Take Place in Georgia on November 30th
NEW YORK – September 25, 2023 – FOX News Channel’s Sean Hannity will moderate a red vs. blue state debate between Florida Governor and Republican presidential candidate Ron DeSantis and Democrat California Governor Gavin Newsom on November 30th. The 90-minute debate, which will take place at location to be determined in Georgia, will air on FNC’s Hannity at 9 PM/ET.
Hannity first raised the prospect of a debate with Governor Newsom during his exclusive sit-down this past June, following which, Governor DeSantis officially signed on to participate in July. This will mark the first time the two prominent governors will face off in a debate.
In commenting on the announcement, Hannity said, “I’m looking forward to providing viewers with an informative debate about the everyday issues and governing philosophies that impact the lives of every American.”
For more than two decades, Hannity has been known for his provocative style and unique connection with his audience. Each night, his primetime program features a signature monologue where he breaks down trending topics of the day, followed by headline-generating interviews. Hannity ended August 2023 as the number one rated program in cable news in the 25-54 demo and averages 2.4 million viewers each night year-to-date, routinely ranking in the top five programs overall.
Throughout his FNC tenure, he has interviewed numerous key newsmakers and political figures, including most recently actor and director Sean Penn, former President Trump, former Vice President Mike Pence, former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, then-President George W. Bush, then-Vice President Dick Cheney, former California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, former New York Mayor Bill de Blasio (D), Reverend Jesse Jackson, as well as Sylvester Stallone, Roseanne Barr, Kim Kardashian, Mel Gibson, Michael Moore, Michael Phelps, Richard Petty, Charlie Daniels, Brad Paisley, Rascal Flatts.
The show’s ratings success has spanned each of his primetime timeslots for more than 25 years. His eponymous program has dominated the cable news landscape, ranking number one in its time slot with both viewers and in the 25-54 demo for 13 consecutive years since launching as a solo hour in January 2009, according to Nielsen Media Research. His debut program, Hannity & Colmes with the late Alan Colmes, became a ratings hit and overtook Larry King after just five years of its existence, ranking as top-rated program in its timeslot beginning in 2002 in the key demo and in 2003 with viewers. From 2017 to 2019, Hannity reigned as the most-watched program in all of cable news in the coveted 25-54 demo and marked four consecutive years as the most-watched show in total viewers (2017-2020).
FOX News Channel (FNC) is a 24-hour all-encompassing news service and has been the number one network in basic cable for the last six years and the most-watched television news channel for more than 21 consecutive years, currently attracting nearly 50% of the cable news viewing audience according to Nielsen Media Research. Notably, Nielsen/MRI Fusion has consistently shown FNC to be the network of choice for more Democrat and Independent viewers, with the most politically diverse audience in cable news. Owned by Fox Corporation, FNC is available in nearly 80 million homes and dominates the cable news landscape, routinely notching the top 10 programs in the genre.
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FOX News Media Contact:
Alexandra Coscia: 212.301.3272 or alexandra.coscia@fox.com