Sean Hannity

Sean Patrick Hannity was born on December 30, 1961. After dropping out of both New York University and Adelphi University, he moved to Santa Barbara, California and worked as a general contractor and bartender. In 1989, he got a talk radio show on the UC Santa Barbara volunteer radio station. His show was cancelled after less than a year for making controversial remarks about gays and lesbians. The station reversed its decision after a campaign conducted by the local chapter of the ACLU, but Hannity chose not to return.

Billing himself in the trade papers as ‘the most talked about college radio host in America,’ Hannity got a job as the afternoon talk show host for a station in Athens, Alabama. His controversial conservative views got him noticed in some larger markets. In 1992, he moved to Atlanta, Georgia to take a spot at WGST that had been vacated by Neil Boortz. He moved to New York City at the end of 1996 to work for talk radio powerhouse WABC in the late night spot, but his success earned him the afternoon drive time slot in January 1998.

In 2001, The Sean Hannity Show went into syndication on over 500 radio stations nationwide. By spring 2008, the program had an audience of over 13.25 million listeners a week. It was added to the Armed Forces Radio Network in 2006, which gives him worldwide exposure. His is listed as the second most influential radio talk show host, behind fellow conservative Rush Limbaugh.

In addition to joining WABC in 1996, Hannity joined the then fledgling Fox News for a show with co-host Alan Colmes. Hannity & Colmes was designed to be a balanced show that aired both Hannity s conservative views and Colmes liberal take on politics and current events. Hannity quickly became known for his polarizing statements and his interview style. In January 2007, his airtime extended into Sunday night with the addition of Hannity s America. After the departure of Alan Colmes in 2009, the show became his alone, simply entitled Hannity.

Hannity, like Hannity & Colmes before it, holds the position of the second highest cable news show, behind Fox News The O Reilly Factor. Hannity is the author of two books: Let Freedom Ring: Winning the War of Liberty over Liberalism (2002) and Deliver Us from Evil: Defeating Terrorism, Despotism, and Liberalism (2004).

Hannity is well known for talking over guests and for not letting them answer a question, yet his fan base loves him for his aggressiveness. His tone is consistent in its promotion of conservative values and ideals. He prides himself on having guests on his show that range the gamut of political and ideological views. Unlike Bill O Reilly, whose views are held slightly suspect by the right, Hannity holds the solid support of the right. They have proven to be loyal to him and to value his opinion highly.