The Sean Hannity Show
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The Sean Hannity Show is an American radio show hosted by conservative commentator Sean Hannity on ABC Radio Networks. Hannity is noted for his opening line to callers in which he greets them with the line "you're a great American." The Hannity program is broadcast live every weekday from the studios of WABC-AM in New York City and aired in syndication by Citadel Radio on terrestrial radio affiliates across the United States and the America Right channel found on XM Satellite Radio and Patriot Channel found on Sirius Satellite Radio Monday through Friday from 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. (Eastern Time). The primary focus is the politics of the day, with regular interviews of liberal commentators, such as Al Sharpton and Bob Beckel, as well as noted conservatives.
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[edit] Syndication
Syndication began through the ABC Radio Networks on September 10, 2001. The program is carried on WSB-AM in Atlanta, Georgia (delayed one hour), WBAP-AM in Dallas, Texas (delayed one hour), KSL Newsradio in Salt Lake City, Utah, KABC-AM in Los Angeles, California, WMAL-AM in Washington, D.C., KFYI-AM in Phoenix, Arizona, WJR (AM) in Detroit (first two hours), WCBM in Baltimore, Maryland and WKRC-AM in Cincinnati, Ohio, among others. As is the standard practice with radio, the show is carried in most markets by a Citadel Broadcasting radio station; the show is owned by Citadel Broadcasting, which acquired the ABC Radio networks in 2006.
Hannity's first version of his radio show was in the late 1980s as a volunteer broadcaster for the University of California, Santa Barbara's radio station, KCSB. He was dismissed from the station in 1989 following a controversial interview about AIDS.[1] Later, Hannity would bring his program to WVNN in Athens, Alabama and NewsRadio WGST-AM in Atlanta, Georgia.
Hannity is the second highest rated talk program, only behind The Rush Limbaugh Show, which leads into Hannity on many stations. Sean's show is carried on 530 stations.[citation needed] He is a two-time consecutive winner of Radio & Records National Talk Show Host of The Year Award in 2003 and 2004, as well as the National Association of Broadcasters' 2003, 2004 and 2005 Marconi awards for Talk Show Host of the Year, and the Talkers Magazine 2003 Freedom of Speech Award.[citation needed] In 2004, Hannity signed a $25 million, five-year contract extension with ABC Radio to continue the show through 2009; however, ABC Radio's acquisition by Citadel Broadcasting on June 12, 2007 apparently Hannity an opportunity to leave one year after the acquisition. According to Brian Maloney, beginning June 12, 2008, Hannity's show will be co-managed by ABC and Premiere Radio Networks, a division of Clear Channel Communications. Hannity already has agreements with approximately 80 Clear Channel stations in a separate agreement.
[edit] Radio show
The show primarily features a mixture of monologues, conversations with callers, and interviews with those in the news.
[edit] Format
Hannity's frequent political targets have included Democrats, and Republicans that he considers to be soft on terrorism and illegal immigration. He frequently criticizes American liberalism as a movement which he says is more in line with democratic socialism rather than classical liberalism.[2][3]
"Man on the street" interviews are a frequent feature, where New York pedestrians are stopped and questioned about politics.
The show also features the occasional inclusion of behind the scenes staff, including producers 'Sweet Baby' James and animal-rights proponent 'Flipper.' 'Gregster' is the engineer who typically plays the audio clips.
The show used to close daily with the segment "Trash the Lines" where calls were taken unscreened, with callers given approximately five seconds to say whatever they wanted. The segment, which had its roots from the hosts' late-night show earlier in his career, has been used less frequently since the summer of 2006. When the segment is used, the final caller is almost always "Marty", a World War II veteran from New Jersey who is highly supportive of Hannity (on the May 2, 2008 episode, a live broadcast from Fresno featuring Mark Levin and Ollie North, Marty – a special guest caller that day – mentioned that he would turn 90 on the following day, May 3).
[edit] Opening themes
Each hour of the Sean Hannity Show opens with the following musical pieces, in order:
1. The refrain of "Independence Day" performed by Martina McBride ("Let freedom ring...")
2. Carmina Burana (Orff), over which announcer Scott Shannon proclaims "From coast to coast, from border to border, from sea to shining sea, Sean Hannity is on!"
3. The instrumental opening to "The Way It Is" performed by Bruce Hornsby and the Range, over which Hannity begins speaking.
Occasionally on the third hour, "Eye of the Tiger" from Survivor will replace both Carmina Burana and "The Way It Is", with Shannon announcing, "Overlooking Madison Square Garden, deep in the heart of midtown Manhattan, the last beacon of truth in a troubled time! This is the Sean Hannity Show and the world-famous Final Hour Free-for-All!"
In the months leading up to the 2006 mid-term elections, an additional announcement was made after Carmina Burana, proclaiming the edition to be "a special edition of The Sean Hannity Show: The Battle for America," featuring a countdown until Election Day. Since Election Day 2007 on November 6, 2007, the “special edition” message counted down the days that remained until the Iowa Caucus (January 3, 2008), “Super Tuesday” (February 5, 2008), and Election Day (November 4, 2008).
[edit] Hal Turner
Hal Turner is a white supremacist from New Jersey. During the early years of Hannity's show on WABC, following the example set by predecessor Bob Grant, Hannity offered regular air-time to Turner. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/03/23/sean-hannity-confronted-o_n_92961.htmlIn 2000, Hannity says he stopped allowing Turner access to his program.
[edit] The "Hate-Hannity Hotline"
Hannity provides a phone line for people who disagree with him to call in. He plays some of these clips at the beginning of the bottom half hour segment of the show. He usually supplements these clips with the explanation that he is performing a service to the American people by "Absorbing the hate and bitterness of the angry left so that they will be nicer to you when you meet them along your way."
[edit] Stop Hillary Express
A more recent feature of the show is the ongoing "Stop Hillary Express", dedicated to criticism of Hillary Clinton, although due to her falling poll numbers has joked about renaming the show Stop Hillary and Obama Express.
Riding the coat tails of the "Stop Hillary Express", many conservative Republican callers have begun to express the idea to vote for Barack Obama, just to keep Hillary Clinton from receiving the Democratic nomination.
[edit] Guest hosts
WABC personality Mark Levin frequently filled in for Hannity during the host's absence until Levin obtained his own syndicated program. Guest hosts have included Barry Farber, Mike Gallagher, Curtis Sliwa, Scott Hennen, Kirby Wilbur, Dennis Miller and Mark Simone.
[edit] Book club
The Hannity show also has a book club with author interviews and discussions on topics. More recent books have included Strategery by Bill Sammon and Fight Back by G. Gordon Liddy. Hannity has also authored two New York Times bestsellers on politics and current events.
[edit] Show website
Hannity's website offers subscribers live and recorded streaming audio of the program. In addition, the program was added to the Armed Forces Radio Network in December 2005. Audio streams of The Sean Hannity Show average more than 190,000 listeners per month who subscribe. There is also Hannidate, a chat room for conservative singles.
[edit] Criticisms
Fortune described Hannity's radio show as "every blowhard's dream: getting paid to preach to the choir," mentioning that he made U.S. $5-million from the show in 2005. Fortune described the show as run by what it described as Hannity's "sure-fire formula: if you agree with his conservative worldview, you're deemed a 'great American.' If you don't, you're a pusillanimous blame-America-lib, who might as well pledge allegiance to France".[4]
[edit] Hannicue
In June 2007, Hannity announced that he would be hosting a Hannicue at his mansion at a date to be named later. The idea was brought to his attention by a caller and continued calls for it encouraged him to acquiesce to the request. He has stated that his favorite callers will be given invitations to attend this exclusive barbecue dubbed the Hannicue.
[edit] See also
[edit] Links
- Hannity's radio website
- Hannity Show cast member- Flipper
- Show ratings via Talkers Magazine
- Hannity program added to Armed Forces radio
- Profile of host Hannity
[edit] References
- ^ loadedmouth.com
- ^ An Open Letter to Sean Hannity Tony Kondaks 27 October 2006
- ^ Is the John Birch Society "Liberal"? Alan Scholl 1 February 2007
- ^ Bonamici, Kate. "Getting Paid to Mouth Off! Fortune; 10/17/2005, Vol. 152 Issue 8, p154-154, 2/3p, 1c.
