Rise to Success: Career Highlights of Sean Hannity
Discover the career path of Sean Hannity, from the first major opportunity to industry-changing achievements.
Sean Hannity is a prominent American conservative television and radio host, and author. He is best known for hosting "The Sean Hannity Show," a nationally syndicated radio program, and for his long-running political commentary show on Fox News, which began in 2009. He also co-hosted "Hannity & Colmes" with Alan Colmes from 1996 to 2009, since the beginning of Fox News, which showcased political debates. Hannity is a well-known figure in conservative media.
1989: First Talk Radio Show
In 1989, Sean Hannity hosted his first talk radio show at the volunteer college station at UC Santa Barbara, KCSB-FM, while working as a general contractor.
1989: Talk Show Host at UC Santa Barbara
In 1989, Sean Hannity volunteered as a talk show host at UC Santa Barbara while working as a general contractor, marking his entry into broadcasting.
1991: Meeting Jill Rhodes
In 1991, Hannity met Jill Rhodes while working at WVNN in Huntsville, Alabama; she was a political columnist for the Huntsville Times.
1992: Move to WGST in Atlanta
In 1992, Sean Hannity moved to WGST in Atlanta, filling the slot vacated by Neal Boortz, advancing his radio career.
September 1996: Hired by Fox News
In September 1996, Sean Hannity was hired by Fox News co-founder Roger Ailes to host a television program, a significant step in his television career.
1996: Co-hosted Hannity & Colmes on Fox
In 1996, Sean Hannity and Alan Colmes co-hosted "Hannity & Colmes" on Fox News, establishing Hannity in the media landscape.
1996: Hannity & Colmes Co-Hosting
In 1996, Sean Hannity began co-hosting Hannity & Colmes with Alan Colmes on Fox News, marking the start of his career in television journalism.
January 1997: Full-Time at WABC
In January 1997, WABC put Sean Hannity on the air full-time, giving him the late-night time slot.
January 1998: Drive-Time Slot at WABC
From January 1998, Sean Hannity was on WABC's afternoon drive-time slot, further establishing his presence in radio.
September 10, 2001: National Syndication of Radio Show
On September 10, 2001, The Sean Hannity Show began national syndication, expanding its reach to more than five hundred stations nationwide.
2003: Freedom Concerts Started
From 2003, Sean Hannity hosted country music-themed "Freedom Concerts" to raise money for charity.
2004: $25 Million Contract Extension
In 2004, Sean Hannity signed a $25 million five-year contract extension with ABC Radio to continue his show until 2009.
2006: Armed Forces Radio Network
In 2006, Sean Hannity's program was made available via Armed Forces Radio Network, extending its reach to military personnel.
January 2007: Clear Channel Extension
In January 2007, Clear Channel Communications signed a groupwide three-year extension with Sean Hannity on more than eighty stations, solidifying his presence in the radio market.
January 2007: Hannity's America
In January 2007, Sean Hannity began a new Sunday night television show on Fox News, titled "Hannity's America", marking his entry into hosting a solo television program.
2008: Hannity Calls on Obama to Release Birth Certificate
Even after Obama produced his birth certificate in 2008, certified by the state of Hawaii, Hannity kept calling on Obama to release his birth certificate, asking why he did not just produce it.
2008: $100 Million Contract
In the summer of 2008, Sean Hannity was signed for a $100 million five-year contract, securing his financial future in radio.
January 9, 2009: Hannity Takes Over Time Slot
On January 9, 2009, after the final broadcast of Hannity & Colmes, Sean Hannity took over the time slot with his own new show, Hannity.
2009: Contract Continuation
In 2009, Sean Hannity continued his show, following the $25 million contract signed in 2004 with ABC Radio.
2009: Self-Titled Political Commentary Program
In 2009, Sean Hannity started hosting his own political commentary program on Fox News, expanding his role as a political commentator.
2010: Hannity Criticizes Assange
In 2010, Sean Hannity criticized Julian Assange and WikiLeaks, saying he was waging a "war" on the U.S. and putting American lives in jeopardy.
2012: Romney's failure to obtain votes in Philadelphia
In 2012, Mitt Romney failed to obtain any votes in 59 of 1,687 Philadelphia voting districts, later cited by Sean Hannity as proof of election rigging.
2012: Benghazi Attack
Sean Hannity was a major proponent of alleged scandals involving the Obama administration and Hillary Clinton related to the 2012 Benghazi attack.
September 2013: Premiere Networks Contract
In September 2013, Sean Hannity signed a long-term contract to remain with Premiere Networks, securing his future in radio broadcasting.
2013: Leaves WABC
In 2013, Sean Hannity left WABC in New York, concluding his tenure at the radio station.
January 2014: Hosts on WOR in New York City
Since January 2014, Sean Hannity has hosted the 3:00–6:00 p.m. time slot on WOR in New York City.
2014: Start at WOR
In 2014, Sean Hannity began working at WOR, marking a transition in his radio career.
2014: Salem Communications Contracts
In 2014, Sean Hannity signed contracts to air on several Salem Communications stations, including WDTK Detroit, WIND Chicago, WWRC Washington, D.C., and KSKY Dallas, expanding his radio presence.
2014: Major Proponent of Alleged Benghazi Scandals
In 2014, analysis found that Sean Hannity was a major proponent of alleged scandals involving the Obama administration and Hillary Clinton related to the 2012 Benghazi attack.
September 2016: Hannity Interviews and Praises Assange
In September 2016, Sean Hannity interviewed Julian Assange and praised him for revealing government corruption. He told Assange, "I do hope you get free one day. I wish you the best."
October 2016: Hannity Offers Obama a One-Way Ticket to Kenya
In October 2016, Sean Hannity offered to purchase a one-way ticket to Kenya for Barack Obama, related to queries about Obama's citizenship.
2016: Close Relationship with Trump
In 2016, Sean Hannity developed a close relationship with Donald Trump during the election, which grew even stronger during Trump's presidency. They frequently spoke on the phone to discuss various topics, including Hannity's show, the special counsel investigation, and even White House staff.
2016: Hannity falsely claims fewer people voted for Trump
In 2016, Sean Hannity falsely claimed fewer people voted for Trump in the 2016 election because they heard about the "pee tape" rumor.
2016: Promotion of Conspiracy Theories About Clinton
In 2016, during the presidential election, Sean Hannity promoted conspiracy theories regarding Hillary Clinton's health. He misrepresented photos and falsely claimed she had medical problems.
2016: False Claims About Election Rigging
In 2016, during the presidential election, Sean Hannity was criticized for making false claims about election rigging. He cited Mitt Romney's performance in Philadelphia voting districts as proof, which was later debunked.
February 2017: Hannity Retweets Conspiracy Website
In February 2017, Sean Hannity retweeted a WikiLeaks tweet linking to a conspiracy website article about John McCain, later deleting it after criticism.
March 2017: Calls for "Purge" of Obama-Era Appointees
In March 2017, Sean Hannity called for a "purge" of Obama-era bureaucrats and appointees in government, as part of his advocacy for the "deep state" conspiracy theory.
March 2017: Hannity Publicizes CIA Theory
In March 2017, Sean Hannity publicized a theory that the CIA could have hacked the DNC while making it look like Russia did it.
May 2017: Promotion of Seth Rich Conspiracy Theory
In May 2017, Sean Hannity heavily promoted a conspiracy theory about the death of DNC staffer Seth Rich, leading to backlash and advertisers pulling out of his show.
May 2017: Offer to Assange to Guest Host
In May 2017, Sean Hannity offered Julian Assange the opportunity to guest host his Fox News TV show.
May 2017: Reiterates Deep State Conspiracy
In May 2017, Sean Hannity reiterated that deep state/intelligence operatives were trying to destroy the Trump presidency.
May 2017: Sekulow Represents Hannity
In May 2017, news reports indicated that Hannity shared another lawyer with Trump, Jay Sekulow. Sekulow had written a cease-and-desist letter to KFAQ on Hannity's behalf.
May 17, 2017: Mueller's appointment
From May 17, 2017, Sean Hannity was repeatedly critical of the FBI, DOJ, Special Counsel Robert Mueller, and others investigating Russian interference in the 2016 election.
September 2017: Hannity hosts Bill O'Reilly on his show
In September 2017, Sean Hannity hosted Bill O'Reilly on his show after O'Reilly was fired from Fox News due to sexual harassment allegations. During the interview, O'Reilly criticized liberal media watchdog groups.
2017: Cohen provided legal services to Hannity
In 2017, Michael Cohen provided "traditional legal tasks" for Sean Hannity.
January 2018: Hannity suggests Hillary Clinton should be in jail
In January 2018, Sean Hannity said he thought Hillary Clinton should be in jail.
March 2018: Seth Rich's Parents Sue Fox News
In March 2018, Seth Rich's parents filed a lawsuit against Fox News for pushing conspiracy theories about their son's death, alleging intentional exploitation of the tragedy for political purposes.
April 9, 2018: Hannity defends Michael Cohen after raid
On April 9, 2018, after federal agents raided Michael Cohen's office and residence, Sean Hannity defended Cohen on air and criticized the federal action, calling it an "unprecedented abuse of power."
April 2018: Controversy over Shared Lawyer
In April 2018, Sean Hannity faced controversy after it was revealed that he shared a lawyer, Michael Cohen, with Donald Trump. This raised ethical concerns as Hannity did not disclose this relationship while defending Cohen on Fox News.
April 16, 2018: Hannity Revealed as Cohen Client
On April 16, 2018, in a court hearing, it was revealed that Sean Hannity was one of Michael Cohen's clients. This was after Cohen's lawyers were compelled to name him against his wishes due to fears of embarrassment.
May 16, 2018: Hannity's show episodes devoted to Mueller
From Mueller's appointment (May 17, 2017) to May 16, 2018, Sean Hannity had 487 segments substantially devoted to Mueller.
August 2018: Giuliani and Sekulow Host Hannity's Radio Show
In August 2018, Sean Hannity allowed Jay Sekulow and Rudy Giuliani, lawyers for Donald Trump, to host his radio show. They used the platform to defend Trump and promote the administration's arguments.
November 4, 2018: Hannity to make "special guest appearance" at Trump rally
On November 4, 2018, it was announced that Sean Hannity would make a "special guest appearance" with Donald Trump at a midterm campaign rally in Missouri. Despite initially tweeting that he would not be on stage campaigning, Hannity did speak at the rally, criticizing the "fake news" media.
2018: Most-Watched Host
By 2018, Sean Hannity had become one of the most-watched hosts in cable news and most-listened-to hosts in talk radio, as noted by Forbes.
2018: Estimated Annual Income
In 2018, Forbes estimated Hannity's annual income to be $36 million.
June 2019: Hannity Outraged by Pelosi's Comment
In June 2019, Sean Hannity criticized Nancy Pelosi's comment about wanting to see Trump in prison. He said it was despicable behavior, which was criticized as hypocrisy.
October 12, 2020: Fox News Settles Seth Rich Lawsuit
On October 12, 2020, Fox News agreed to pay millions of dollars to the Rich family in a settlement, resolving a lawsuit related to the network's conspiracy theories about Seth Rich's death.
December 2020: Hannity Calls for Special Prosecutor
In December 2020, Sean Hannity called for a special prosecutor to investigate Trump's claims of voter fraud, despite a lack of credible evidence.
2020: Sidney Powell appears on Hannity's show
In 2020, Shortly after the election, Sean Hannity hosted Trump attorney Sidney Powell, who made assertions that the company's voting machines had been rigged against Donald Trump.
2020: Hannity Offers Advice to Meadows
In 2020, after Donald Trump lost the election, Sean Hannity sent text messages to Mark Meadows, including one seemingly suggesting a joint real estate venture.
December 31, 2020: Hannity's Text to Meadows
On December 31, 2020, Sean Hannity texted Mark Meadows saying he did "NOT see January 6 happening the way he [Trump] is being told."
2021: Fox News Sued by Dominion
In 2021, Fox News was sued for defamation by Dominion Voting Systems, due to claims promoted by Sean Hannity and others that the company's voting machines were rigged against Donald Trump.
May 2022: Hannity participated in a conference call
In May 2022, Sean Hannity participated in a conference call days after the 2020 presidential election that focused on strategies for challenging the legitimacy of the vote.
January 2023: Comer Investigates the Bidens
In January 2023, Comer began investigating the Bidens, but did not initially find evidence of wrongdoing by the president.
October 2023: Staffer solicits support for Jordan as House Speaker
In October 2023, a staffer on Sean Hannity's show emailed Republican lawmakers to ask why they weren't supporting Representative Jim Jordan, Donald Trump's choice for House Speaker.
December 2023: House Initiates Impeachment Inquiry
In December 2023, despite the lack of evidence found by Comer, House Republicans voted unanimously to initiate an impeachment inquiry against President Biden.
February 2024: FBI Informant Indicted
In February 2024, the FBI informant who made bribery allegations against Biden was indicted on charges of fabricating the story; this informant was allegedly associated with Russian intelligence.
March 2024: Impeachment Inquiry Winding Down
By March 2024, due to a lack of evidence and limited Republican support, the impeachment inquiry against President Biden was winding down.
April 2024: Hannity Avoids Biden Inquiry
By April 2024, it was reported that Hannity had not mentioned the Biden inquiry on his program or hosted Comer for a month, following the indictment of the FBI informant.
2024: Move to Florida
In 2024, Hannity announced that he had moved from Long Island, New York, to Florida and would be broadcasting his shows from his new home permanently.
