Pictured: Jon Scott. Courtesy Fox News
Fox News has announced that America’s Newsroom with Bill Hemmer and Sandra Smith will expand to three hours, from 9 AM to 12 AM. The move means that 11 AM’s Happening Now with Jon Scott has been cancelled, but Scott is being moved to weekends as the anchor of Fox Report Weekend. Scott will also contribute to weekend breaking news coverage as warranted.
The new America’s Newsroom will take effect on June 11th while Scott’s first day on weekend duty is June 16.
“Bill and Sandra’s ability to cut through the headlines and provide hard-hitting interviews with the nation’s leaders have made it must-see television and we’re excited to add an extra hour of this informative program to the weekday lineup,” Fox News president and executive editor Jay Wallace said in a statement. “Adding Jon Scott’s extensive experience in breaking news will help ensure our weekend coverage remains unparalleled in the industry.”
Smith has also been a host on Outnumbered since the show launched in 2014. However once the America’s Newsroom change takes effect, Smith will depart Outnumbered.
It’s now August of 2020, and we have seen Bill Hemmer move into Shep Smith’s spot, with Shep’s much-needed departure. While Jon Scott’s fans would have liked to see him moved into that spot, we have to admit that Hemmer is doing a very good job-WAY better than Shep Smith. However, when Hemmer left the America’s Newsroom slot and they moved Ed Henry into his place, that was a real mistake. He was not a good fit to begin with, before anything came out about his recent troubles. Although we feel badly for Ed that he has fallen once again in his personal life, we hope and pray that he will find healing and peace in his personal life, but-that was the time that Jon Scott should have been given that morning 3-hour slot with Sandra Smith. While he does a great job on weekends, as anyone who’s viewed him on tv would know that he would, he was a perfect fit for the America’s Newsroom spot and should have been moved into it. We do not understand what the programmers are thinking to keep him hidden on weekends. It seems like a huge waste of talent. He is the most professionals, fair, and distinguished of all the anchors. Many of us out here would like to know why he is at least not used during the week for fill-ins. They are always given to those who already have plenty of on air time during the week. Come on Fox, you’re better than this. Be fair to your anchors as you say you are to your viewers.