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Ventura stated: "I'll bet [Hannity] a thousand bucks that I can get him to say 'Barack Obama is the greatest president' -- if I get him to say it, he'll give the thousand to charity and if I can't, I'll give the money to charity." Charities never recieved the donation, as Hannity never submitted to the "enhanced interrogation" as he promised on his TV show. [24]
Ventura stated: "I'll bet [Hannity] a thousand bucks that I can get him to say 'Barack Obama is the greatest president' -- if I get him to say it, he'll give the thousand to charity and if I can't, I'll give the money to charity." Charities never recieved the donation, as Hannity never submitted to the "enhanced interrogation" as he promised on his TV show. [24]


Hannity never lived up to his promise to submit to water boarding for charity, thus disallowing the other high profile charitable offers related to his televised promise to do so. This fact was publicly referenced at the high profile White House Correspondents Dinner in May 2009, with President Obama and Kieth Olberman in attendance, televised on C-Span. Presenter wanda Sykes stated in front of a crowd of journalists and politicians "[Hannity] hasn't done it yet I see. Talking about he can take a waterboarding, please, ok, you might be able to get waterboarded by somebody he knows and trusts, but let somebody from Pakistan waterboard him... I can break Sean Hannity by giving him a middle seat in coach." [25]
Hannity never lived up to his promise to submit to water boarding for charity, thus disallowing the other high profile charitable offers related to his televised promise to do so. This fact was publicly referenced at the high profile White House Correspondents Dinner in May 2009, with President Obama and Kieth Olberman in attendance, televised on C-Span. Presenter Wanda Sykes stated in front of a crowd of journalists and politicians "[Hannity] hasn't done it yet I see. Talking about he can take a waterboarding, please, ok, you might be able to get waterboarded by somebody he knows and trusts, but let somebody from Pakistan waterboard him... I can break Sean Hannity by giving him a middle seat in coach." [25]


Eric "Mancow" Muller, a conservative Chicago radio talk show host then underwent waterboarding without any monetary incentive, hoping to prove it was not torture and that he would feel no fear or harmful effects. When interviewed, Muller stated "It was instantaneous... and I don't want to say this: absolutely torture." Since Hannity failed to live up to his promise, and Muller had submitted to water boarding voluntarily, Keith Olbermann told his audience that his offer to "the coward Hannity" was rescinded and then agreed to give the money promised to Hannity, one thousand dollars per second, to charity "Veterans for Valor." Even though Muller withstood the waterboarding for less than five seconds, Olbermann announced he would donate ten thousand dollars. [26]
Eric "Mancow" Muller, a conservative Chicago radio talk show host then underwent waterboarding without any monetary incentive, hoping to prove it was not torture and that he would feel no fear or harmful effects. When interviewed, Muller stated "It was instantaneous... and I don't want to say this: absolutely torture." Since Hannity failed to live up to his promise, and Muller had submitted to water boarding voluntarily, Keith Olbermann told his audience that his offer to "the coward Hannity" was rescinded and then agreed to give the money promised to Hannity, one thousand dollars per second, to charity "Veterans for Valor." Even though Muller withstood the waterboarding for less than five seconds, Olbermann announced he would donate ten thousand dollars. [26]

Revision as of 09:12, 8 November 2010

Sean Hannity
Sean Hannity at King of Prussia Mall (2004)
Born (1961-12-30) December 30, 1961 (age 62)
New York City, New York
United States
NationalityAmerican
EducationAttended New York University
Attended Adelphi University
Occupation(s)Radio host/television host, political commentator, author
Employer(s)Citadel Broadcasting, Fox News Channel
Known forPolitical commentary
Political partyConservative Party of New York
SpouseJill Rhodes Hannity
Parent(s)Hugh J. and Lillian F. Hannity
WebsiteHannity.com

Sean Hannity (born December 30, 1961) is an American radio and television host, author, and conservative political commentator. He is the host of The Sean Hannity Show, a nationally syndicated talk-radio show that airs throughout the United States on Premiere Radio Networks. Hannity also hosts a cable-news show, Hannity, on Fox News Channel. Hannity has also written three New York Times bestselling books:[1][2] Let Freedom Ring: Winning the War of Liberty over Liberalism, Deliver Us from Evil: Defeating Terrorism, Despotism, and Liberalism, and Conservative Victory: Defeating Obama’s Radical Agenda.

Personal background

Hannity is the son of Hugh J. and Lillian F. Hannity. His paternal and maternal grandparents emigrated from Ireland. He has two sisters, Joanne S. Hannity and Therese (Hannity) Grisham. He grew up in Franklin Square, New York [3] and attended Sacred Heart Seminary in Hempstead, New York during his middle school years and St. Pius X Preparatory Seminary high school in Uniondale, New York.[4] Hannity dropped out of New York University and Adelphi University to pursue his broadcasting career.[5]


During the late 1980s, Hannity was a general contractor[6] in Santa Barbara, California and also a bartender.[7]

Professional life

Hannity in a radio and television interview with Vice President of the U.S. Dick Cheney

Hannity hosted his first talk radio show in 1989 at the volunteer college station at UC Santa Barbara, KCSB-FM, while working as a general contractor. The show aired for 40 hours of air time;[8] Regarding his first show, Hannity has said, "I wasn't good at it. I was terrible."[9] Hannity's weekly show on KCSB was canceled after less than a year by station managers upset with his remarks about gays and lesbians.[10] This was after two shows featuring the book The AIDS Coverup: The Real and Alarming Facts about AIDS by Gene Antonio; among other remarks, Hannity told a lesbian caller "I feel sorry for your child".[11] The station later reversed its decision to dismiss Hannity due in part to a campaign conducted by the Santa Barbara Chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union. Hannity decided against returning to KCSB.[12]

After leaving KCSB, Hannity placed an ad in radio publications presenting himself as "the most talked about college radio host in America." Radio station WVNN in Athens, Alabama (part of the Huntsville market) then hired him to be the afternoon talk show host.[8] From Huntsville, he moved to WGST in Atlanta in 1992, filling the slot vacated by Neal Boortz, who had moved to competing station WSB. In September 1996 Fox News co-founder Roger Ailes hired the then relatively unknown Hannity to host a television program under the working title Hannity and LTBD ("liberal to be determined").[13] Alan Colmes was then hired to co-host and the show debuted as Hannity & Colmes.

Later that year Hannity left WGST for New York, where WABC had him substitute for their afternoon drive time host during Christmas week. In January 1997, WABC put Hannity on the air full-time, giving him the late night time slot. WABC then moved Hannity to the same drive time slot he had filled temporarily a little more than a year earlier. Hannity has been on WABC's afternoon time slot since January 1998.[14]

Conservative Cal Thomas and liberal Bob Beckel, in their book Common Ground, describe Hannity as a leader of the pack among broadcasting political polarizers, which following James Q. Wilson they define as those who have "an intense commitment to a candidate, a culture, or an ideology that sets people in one group definitively apart from people in another, rival group."[15]

Television

See also: Hannity & Colmes, Hannity's America, and Hannity

Hannity was a co-host of Hannity & Colmes, an American political "point-counterpoint"-style television program on the Fox News Channel featuring Hannity and Alan Colmes as co-hosts. Hannity presented the conservative point of view with Colmes providing the liberal viewpoint. Critics argued that the show highlighted Hannity's views and those of conservative guests over Colmes' and those of liberal guests.[16]

Hannity had on air clashes with show guests such as Fr. Thomas J. Euteneuer of Human Life International, who challenged Hannity on his public dissent from the Catholic Church on the issue of contraception.[17][18] Hannity stated that if the Catholic Church were to excommunicate him over the issue, he would join Jerry Falwell's Thomas Road Baptist Church.[19]

In January 2007, Hannity began a new Sunday night television show on Fox News, Hannity's America.

In November 2008, Colmes announced his departure from Hannity & Colmes. After the show's final broadcast on January 9, 2009, Hannity took over the time slot with his own new show, Hannity, which has a format similar to Hannity's America.

Public Offer to Undergo Water-boarding for Charity

In April 2009, on his own news show, Hannity said he'd allow himself to be waterboarded for charity.[20]

When asked by Charles Grodin on Hannity's own TV on FOX show "Would you consent to be waterboarded? We can waterboard you?", Hannity replied "I'll do it for charity. I'll let you do it. I'll do it for the troops' families." [21] [22]

Subsequently, former Minnesota Governor Jesse Ventura and MSNBC host Keith Obermann have both offered charitable donations for every second Hannity submits to water-boarding (as promised for charity). In addition to and offer for charity of $1,000 per second, Olbermann said he'd double the donation if Hannity acknowledged he feared for his life, and that waterboarding is torture. [23]. Ventura stated: "I'll bet [Hannity] a thousand bucks that I can get him to say 'Barack Obama is the greatest president' -- if I get him to say it, he'll give the thousand to charity and if I can't, I'll give the money to charity." Charities never recieved the donation, as Hannity never submitted to the "enhanced interrogation" as he promised on his TV show. [24]

Hannity never lived up to his promise to submit to water boarding for charity, thus disallowing the other high profile charitable offers related to his televised promise to do so. This fact was publicly referenced at the high profile White House Correspondents Dinner in May 2009, with President Obama and Kieth Olberman in attendance, televised on C-Span. Presenter Wanda Sykes stated in front of a crowd of journalists and politicians "[Hannity] hasn't done it yet I see. Talking about he can take a waterboarding, please, ok, you might be able to get waterboarded by somebody he knows and trusts, but let somebody from Pakistan waterboard him... I can break Sean Hannity by giving him a middle seat in coach." [25]

Eric "Mancow" Muller, a conservative Chicago radio talk show host then underwent waterboarding without any monetary incentive, hoping to prove it was not torture and that he would feel no fear or harmful effects. When interviewed, Muller stated "It was instantaneous... and I don't want to say this: absolutely torture." Since Hannity failed to live up to his promise, and Muller had submitted to water boarding voluntarily, Keith Olbermann told his audience that his offer to "the coward Hannity" was rescinded and then agreed to give the money promised to Hannity, one thousand dollars per second, to charity "Veterans for Valor." Even though Muller withstood the waterboarding for less than five seconds, Olbermann announced he would donate ten thousand dollars. [26]

As of yet, Hannity has yet to keep his promise to undergo water-boarding, or make the related charitable donation from submitting to water boarding or "enhanced interrogation" to the troops and their families as promised on his Fox TV show April, 22, 2009 . [27]

Radio

Hannity's radio program is a conservative political talk show that features Hannity's opinions and ideology related to current issues and politicians. The Sean Hannity Show began national syndication on September 10, 2001 on over 500 stations nationwide.[20] As of spring 2008, the program is heard by over 13.25 million listeners a week.[21] In 2004, Hannity signed a $25 million five-year contract extension with ABC Radio (now Citadel Media) to continue the show through 2009.[22] The program was made available via Armed Forces Radio Network in 2006.[23] In June 2007, ABC Radio was sold to Citadel Communications.[24]

In January 2007, Clear Channel Communications signed a groupwide three-year extension with Hannity on over 80 stations.[25] The largest stations in the group deal included KTRH Houston, KFYI Phoenix, WPGB Pittsburgh, WKRC Cincinnati, WOOD Grand Rapids, WFLA Tampa, WOAI San Antonio, WLAC Nashville, and WREC Memphis.

The opening theme music for the Sean Hannity Show is "Independence Day" by Martina McBride followed by "O Fortuna" (from Carmina Burana) by Carl Orff, followed by "The Way It Is" by Bruce Hornsby and the Range.[26]

Books

Hannity is the author of three books. The first two, Let Freedom Ring: Winning the War of Liberty over Liberalism and Deliver Us from Evil: Defeating Terrorism, Despotism, and Liberalism, were published through ReganBooks. Both of these books reached the nonfiction New York Times bestseller list, the second of which stayed there for five weeks.[27][28] Hannity has stated that he is too busy to write many books,[27] and dictated a lot of his own two books into a tape recorder while driving in to do his radio show.[29]

Hannity wrote his third book, Conservative Victory: Defeating Obama’s Radical Agenda, which was released by HarperCollins on March 30, 2010.[30] The book became Hannity's third New York Times Bestseller.[31]

Freedom Concerts

Since 2003, Hannity has hosted country music-themed "Freedom Concerts" billed to help benefit the Freedom Alliance Scholarship Fund, a charity created by Oliver North to provide college scholarships to children with a parent severely disabled or killed in military action.[32] As of 2009, more than $9 million has been raised by the concerts.[33]

Artists such as Charlie Daniels,[34][35] Billy Ray Cyrus,[34] Hank Williams, Jr., Ted Nugent, Montgomery Gentry,[35][36] Martina McBride, Buddy Jewell, LeAnn Rimes, Lee Greenwood,[34][35] Michael W. Smith,[34] and Avalon[35] have headlined at Hannity's concerts. Between musical sets, the concerts include short intermissions with politically conservative speakers such as Oliver North, G. Gordon Liddy, Mark Levin, Newt Gingrich, Jon Voight, and Rudy Giuliani. Headlining names for the 2010 concert series are Lynyrd Skynyrd, Charlie Daniels, and Michael W. Smith.[33][37]

In March 2010, two organizations,[38][39][40] Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington group (CREW) and the political action committee VoteVets.org requested that the Federal Trade Commission investigate Freedom Alliance, Freedom Concerts, Sean Hannity, Lt. Col. Oliver North and others. The complaint alleges the claims that all of the concerts' proceeds go toward scholarships are false. CREW also asked the IRS to investigate whether Freedom Alliance' engaged in political activities in violation their non-profit, tax-exempt status. The president of the charity overseeing the scholarships, Freedom Alliance, called the allegations "baseless" and added that "there is absolutely no merit to the scurrilous charges launched against Freedom Alliance from two of the most left-wing organizations in the country."[41] Hannity is not on the staff or board of Freedom Alliance.[42]

Awards and honors

Bibliography

References

  1. ^ ."BEST SELLERS: September 22, 2002". New York Times. 2002-09-22. Retrieved 2007-12-14.
  2. ^ "BEST SELLERS: April 4, 2004". New York Times. 2004-04-04. Retrieved 2008-07-26.
  3. ^ Hannity's WSB bio
  4. ^ Hannity, Let Freedom Ring, p. 49.
  5. ^ "Sean Hannity". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved December 2, 2009.
  6. ^ "Sean Hannity bio". WKNW. Retrieved 2009-08-29. [dead link‍]
  7. ^ Kurtz, Howard (January 14, 2002). "Radio's New Right-Fielder". Washington Post. Retrieved 2006-11-04.
  8. ^ a b "Hannity Bio". The Sean Hannity Show at WDBO. Retrieved 2008-10-13.
  9. ^ "'Hannitization' Of America". CBS News. 2004-05-23. Retrieved 2008-10-13.
  10. ^ Chang, Jody May. "Lesbian activist gave birth to Sean Hannity’s celebrity, reluctantly" www.may-chang.com
  11. ^ Cohen, Jeff (2006). Cable News Confidential: My Misadventures in Corporate Media. Polipoint Press. pp. M1 85. ISBN 0-9760621-6-X.
  12. ^ Rendall, Steve (November/December 2003). "An Aggressive Conservative vs. a 'Liberal to be Determined'". Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting. Retrieved 2008-10-13. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  13. ^ http://web.archive.org/web/20061109203543/http://www.alan.com/staff/alan.htm
  14. ^ "Sean Hannity is a multi-media superstar, spending four hours a day every day reaching out to millions of Americans on radio, television and internet". WABC. Retrieved 2008-10-13.
  15. ^ Thomas, Cal (2007). Common Ground: How to Stop the Partisan War That Is Destroying America. New York: William Morrow. pp. 3–6. ISBN 0-06-123634-9. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  16. ^ An Aggressive Conservative vs. a "Liberal to be Determined" by Steve Rendall, Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting, November/December 2003
  17. ^ "YouTube - Hannity's Gospel". Youtube.com. Retrieved 2008-10-30.
  18. ^ McCain, Robert Stacy (March 14, 2007). "Hannity at Odds with Catholic Doctrine". Washington Times. Retrieved 2009-08-29.
  19. ^ Royal, Robert. "Sean and Rudy's excellent adventures in moral theology." National Catholic Reporter; March 30, 2007, Vol. 43 Issue 22, p19-19, 2/3p.
  20. ^ "Canon Communications LLC: Home" (PDF). Affiliates.abcradionetworks.com. Retrieved 2009-08-29.
  21. ^ "The Top Talk Radio Audiences". Talkers Magazine. Retrieved 2008-10-13.
  22. ^ "Sean Hannity Profile". WSGW. 2006. Archived from the original on 2007-08-11. Retrieved 2008-11-05.
  23. ^ "Canon Communications LLC: Home" (PDF). Affiliates.abcradionetworks.com. Retrieved 2009-08-29.
  24. ^ "Disney and Citadel Announce Completion of ABC Radio Merger" (Press release). The Walt Disney Company. 2007-06-12. Retrieved 2008-10-13.
  25. ^ "Clear Channel Radio Renews Sean Hannity Through 2010" (Press release). Clear Channel Communications. 2006-09-28. Retrieved 2008-10-13.
  26. ^ "The Way It Is by Bruce Hornsby Songfacts". Songfacts.com. Retrieved 2008-10-30.
  27. ^ a b Contemporary Authors Online, Thomson Gale, 2005.
  28. ^ Sean Hannity's ABC Radio Networks biography page
  29. ^ Poniewozik, James (2002-11-05). "10 Questions for Sean Hannity". Time. Retrieved 2008-10-13. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  30. ^ "Sean Hannity writes book on defeating Obama, Democrats". USA Today. 2010-02-16. Retrieved 2010-05-23.
  31. ^ "NYT Best Sellers- Paperback Nonfiction". NY Times. April 15, 2010. Retrieved 18 April 2010.
  32. ^ "HANNITY BRINGING 'FREEDOM' CONCERT BACK TO SIX FLAGS". New York Daily News. 2006-07-20. Retrieved 2009-08-23.
  33. ^ a b "Sean Hannity & WHIO Present: The Dayton Freedom Concert". WHIO. Retrieved 2009-12-04.
  34. ^ a b c d "Sean Hannity's Freedom Concert '09". KFMB. Retrieved 2009-12-04. [dead link‍]
  35. ^ a b c d "Hannity Freedom Concert South". WSB. Retrieved 2009-12-04.
  36. ^ "Montgomery Gentry loves country and sings for "Freedom"". New York Daily News. 2007-09-11. Retrieved 2009-12-04.
  37. ^ "Freedom Concerts homepage". Retrieved 2009-12-04.
  38. ^ {Kane, Paul (2008-06-18). "Senators Deny Knowing Of Home Loan Favoritism". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2010-07-17.
  39. ^ Montanaro, Domenico (October 2, 2007). "Liberal Group Takes on Rush". MSNBC. Retrieved 20 April 2010.
  40. ^ Milbank, Dana (September 1, 2009). "A Hero's Death in Afghanistan, and the Question 'Why?'". Washington Post. Retrieved 20 April 2010.
  41. ^ DiMascio, Jen (March 29, 2010). "CREW flags Hannity concert series". Politico. Retrieved 2010-03-30.
  42. ^ "Freedom Alliance- About us". Freedom Alliance. Retrieved 31 March 2010.
  43. ^ "Sean Hannity Wins 2007 Marconi Award" (PDF) (Press release). Citadel Media. 2007-09-28. Retrieved 2008-10-16.
  44. ^ "Heavy Hundred". Talkers Magazine. July/August, 2009. p. 267. Retrieved 2009-08-30. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  45. ^ "Sean Hannity and Michael Medved Shows Come to News Talk 590 KTIE-AM" (Press release). Business Wire. 2005-11-29. Retrieved 2008-10-16.
  46. ^ Pierce, Jared (2007-04-17). "Hannity to speak at Liberty". The Liberty Champion. Retrieved 2008-10-16. [dead link‍]
  47. ^ "Sean Hannity Re-Signs with FOX News Channel" (Press release). Business Wire. 2008-10-08. Retrieved 2008-10-16.
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