Fox News’ “America’s Newsroom” is enjoying a ratings boost in October since adding “Outnumbered” host Sandra Smith as co-host alongside longtime anchor Bill Hemmer.
During the first four weeks of their joint tenure, the program saw a 5 percent increase in overall viewers and nearly 10 percent among the advertiser-critical 25-54 demographic.
The show, now in its 10th year airing weekdays from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. ET, is the network’s first hard news programming each weekday after three hours of opinion-oriented content on the presidential favorite “Fox & Friends.”
In a recent interview with TheWrap, the hosts reflected on the challenge they faced driving news coverage on a network that often focuses on more opinion-driven commentary.
“We have stay as nimble as humanly possible,” Hemmer told TheWrap. “What I’ve always said about Fox, you have to hit the door in the morning at 110 miles an hour and if you don’t your colleagues are going to run right by you.”
Smith agreed, citing last week’s terrorist attack in New York City as proof that the news was always moving.
“I was at a Halloween party surrounded by toddlers,” she told TheWrap. “I looked at my phone, the news started trickling in. We started getting internal emails and you pretty much know how to read those and you go full on mode getting every single detail you can.”
Despite stumbling in the ratings earlier this year amid widespread focus on sexual harassment issues at the network, Fox News has largely recovered its usual position of dominance.
In his first month head-to-head against Rachel Maddow in primetime, Fox News’ Sean Hannity crushed the MSNBC host both overall and in the 25-54 demographic.
The network’s new 10 p.m. show, Laura Ingraham’s “The Ingraham Angle” also debuted to strong numbers last month.