Bill Hemmer Profile…

The Washington Post’s Howard Kurtz profiles FNC’s Bill Hemmer…

To Hemmer, who recently signed a multi-year, multimillion-dollar contract that has not yet been announced, the secret of the morning show’s success is the pacing. “At 9 we put the gas in the tank, floor that accelerator and drive toward the news of the day,” he says. “A viewer needs to understand a story in a short period of time, otherwise they will zone out or they will change the station. Complexities are difficult to sell.”

With his infectious grin and golly-gee demeanor, Hemmer exudes boyish enthusiasm both on and off the air. He is quick to sing the praises of his network, his colleagues, Chairman Roger Ailes (a fellow Ohioan), even the Sixth Avenue lobby for its mix of visitors. Has he ever said anything on the air that he regrets? “Knock wood, I think I’ve been lucky to, as my mother would say, be careful before you speak,” says Hemmer, his eyes occasionally wandering to his four television monitors in what he admits is a Pavlovian response.

As for his other assets, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette columnist Patricia Sheridan once asked him: “Do you think being a good-looking guy helped move your career along?” (Hemmer didn’t deny it.)

“He’s a wholesome reporter, he’s from Ohio, he grew up in a large family, he has an innate curiosity and he’s likable,” says Fox News Senior Vice President Michael Clemente. “He’s almost an Everyman, a decent guy.”