Bill Hemmer Gets Layered Up for New Year's Eve, Defends FOX News

By Nicki Gostin Posted Dec 29th 2010 07:18PM

This New Year's Eve, Megyn Kelly and Bill Hemmer will be hosting an 'All American New Year' on the FOX News Channel. Scheduled performers include Rick Springfield and Katharine McPhee; sadly network star/rocker Mike Huckabee will not be thumbing along on the bass. Hemmer, by day the host of the top-rated 'America's Newsroom,' spoke to PopEater about how much he loves Times Square and the great Dick Clark, plus the anchor strongly defends the 'Fair and Balanced'-ness of FOX News.

So why should we watch you guys instead of Dick's rockin' New Year's Eve show?
Well he's great, he's terrific, he set the standard. He's the reason we all do a show, but we just have a ball, a blast doing the show and we like to think we have the most fun.

Are you saying that Ryan and Dick don't have fun?
They might but I haven't seen their show in six years because I've been out in Times Square. It's a great night for Americans to sit back and tune in and perhaps think a little bit about what we've been through the past twelve months and even more so prepare ourselves for what we're about to go into. At least for a couple of hours you can have a great time, get yourself a drink and sit back and relax and tune into FOX. I guarantee you'll have fun with us.

Do you wear a million layers?
We wear whatever we can get our hands on. Two years ago we had sustained winds of 35 miles per hour flying down right in our faces and we did a three hour show. It was absolutely brutal.

Did you feel like emailing Rupert Murdoch and asking for more money?
I did not but thank you for the suggestion. That's the risk we accept. We really like to be in Times Square on New Year's Eve. I highly encourage everyone to do at least once in their life. Come to Times Square and stand in those pens for six to eight hours.

Yeah and not be able to pee.
Yes I think bladder strength is important. But the people who are there are there to witness a moment and when all the confetti falls and they kick into Frank Sinatra's 'New York, New York,' and you see a million people gathered there -- it is a moment.

Do you guys get wasted afterwards?
Who says we're not already? Yes we always have a gathering at someone's apartment and talk about the night.

What do you say to people who say FOX News is biased?
I invite them to watch our program. We spare no one whether they're Democrats or Republicans. The fair and balanced slogan is alive and kicking.

So you guys don't favor the Republican Party?
It's our job to figure out a way to shoot it down the middle. There's too much noise out there anyway. Hopefully we can help viewers see their way through that or maybe get a picture that's a bit more in focus than the noise of the day.

Do you think cable news channels have contributed to the divisiveness that we see today?
I don't know what the role of cable stations is and has been in that national debate. What I do think is that when the economy gets strained people get concerned and they get protective for obvious reasons and they become protective of what they have.

How are stars spending their holidays? See our video:

Tags: bill hemmer, fox news

Comments

(18)

Wednesday 29 December

By Greg

Highest Rank Vote down Vote up Report this

Bill Hemmer is the example of a professional journalist.
Take note cnn,cnbc. this is why you and the 3 old channels are in the toilet.
The Fox News team exemplifies top notch journalism thats fair and balanced. we will all be watching on New Years Eve.
Fox Rocks!

Thursday 30 December

By Bob Gifford

Lowest Rank Vote down Vote up Report this

Watch something else sometime and you will
change your mind.

By atokageneral

are you kidding? they are about as fair and balanced as the scales of justice. besides they openly backed palin and odonnell, 2 people who, if they put their heads together couldn't win on are you smarter than a First grade.

By Shep

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Bill Hemmer is AOK. His partner, Megan, is a narcissistic, egotistical blowhard. She and several others on Fox would float off in to space if ego was helium. I have trouble believing that people can keep their food down while watching some of the most biased people in this nation that have a microphone, gold or not. My take on Fox is 'Far-right and Biased'

By mona

@greg, you are entitled to your own opinion, but not your own facts.
We all know that they are not fair and balanced. But if you want to have a rockin new years with them, then by all means please go and have the time of your life. The rest of us will be off having a drink, throwing confetti, hugging eachother, and remembering the crazy stuff we did this past year.

By staci

Many years ago, he began an interview w a soldier fighting in Iraq by saying, "Your brother died on 9/11. Fighting for him in Iraq must really be meaningful."

Please. The fact that he doesn't even know Iraq didn't attack us on 9/11 speaks volumes for his journalistic credentials.

By Curious

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Excuse me? When did Bill Hemmer say that Iraq DID attack us??? I'd put his journalistic credentials against yours any day.

By ChristinaB

Bill Hemmer is from my hometown ( Cincinnati ) and he is one of the most honest and professional journalists around. I'm glad he made it to the big time. He, along with O'reilly, Beck, and others is the reason Fox is number 1. All the other networks wish they had half the rating that Fox does.

By truthbetold

That's what they could say about Goebbels too. Also Pravda in the old days. I like Bill Hemmer, and I'm saddened that he took the big payday to sell out to the slanted, deceitful, and dangerous news mispresentation at Fox News.

By dan

isnt it amazing how others can knock fox news when most of them never watch it.now ill tell you fair and balanced, cnn, pbs, abc, nbc, cbs, msnbc. their reporting as far s negitive is about 90 % conservatives less than 5% against the democrats, now thats really balanced.

By mattiedog27

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fox NEWS is over at 8 pm.

By Bill

Gee I wonder why FOX News is kicking everyone's butt every week. I know it's very difficult for the left and the media to swallow. Love to be a fly on the wall in CNN's or MSNBC's top level strategy meetings! FOX must drive them NUTS! Give some more air time to the crew who staff the "Situation Room" with Wolf, or maybe a second show for Joy Beyhar. JK-USA can't even make a dent. What are we gonna do?

By todd hilley

When is this bone head reporter going to ask Katie Couric and the 95% liberal media to defend themselves because they are left wing extremist?

By Non plussed

Most media types are hiding or changing news to meet their needs .These guys wouldn't know what the smell was if a fat man was eating beans in front of them . I would rather read Wikileaks .

By R.W.

I think Bill Hemmer is hulicinating...

By Cathy

At least he can spell.

Friday 31 December

By lexy

Have to change channels now. Who are the two female idiots who have voices like screaming shrews? I cannot listen to them.

Saturday 08 January

By Bob Fraser

Bill Hemmer is an idiot. The only reason fox has a big following is they repeat the same program over + over. I hope he has a wife or maybe he is still in the closet.

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