The much-rumored evening lineup shift at Fox News Channel is now official: Starting Oct. 7, Megyn Kelly will take the 9 p.m. hour and Sean Hannity will move to 10 p.m., with Greta Van Susteren sliding forward to 7 p.m.
Kelly, returning from maternity leave, will be doing a more news-oriented program called "The Kelly Report," Fox News said in its announcement Tuesday.
It will "focus on late-breaking stories in a live format as well as in-depth investigative reports interspersed with newsmaker interviews," the channel said, and also "embrace a stronger social media presence."
Hannity's new 10 p.m. show will sometimes be live and sometimes be taped, Fox News said, and this was framed as an accommodation Hannity had been seeking.
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"I am very happy to be moving to 10 p.m.," he said in a statement. "The ability to be live or on tape greatly increases the flexibility of the show and offers me, after 17 years, the opportunity to be home at night with my family."
Van Susteren also said in a statement that the new timeslot will give her a better quality of life.
"After 11 ½ years driving home near midnight," she said, "I am 'to the moon thrilled' at a new challenge (and a new drive! Half the year I won't even need headlights!)."
Shepard Smith, the current occupant of the 7 p.m. slot, will be "available throughout the evening" to insert breaking news into the programming. Smith also will continue hosting his 3 p.m. show.
Fox News, and all its hosts, have consistently been No. 1 in the evening among cable news networks. Rival MSNBC is closer among younger viewers, however, which may be one reason Fox News is stressing that its new evening lineup will be more interactive and encourage more social media engagement.
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