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Greta Van Susteren Leaves Fox News — Will Other Popular Show Hosts Follow?

By Ernie Howell
Published on: 15:46 PST, Sep 7, 2016

Greta Van Susteren announced her exit from Fox New Channel unceremoniously with a Facebook post on Tuesday, explaining that she exercised a clause in her contract to immediately exit from a television show she’s hosted since 2002.

Known as a “key man” clause, Greta Van Susteren was able to exit when former Fox News chief Roger Ailes — the “key man” referenced in the clause — resigned in July amid a sexual harassment lawsuit, according to Deadline. The article listed Bill O’Reilly, Sean Hannity, and Bret Baier as other known Fox News Channel personalities that had “key man” clauses in their contracts.

With multiple Fox News Channel show hosts holding these “key man” clauses in their contract, speculation will heat up to see if any other personalities follow Greta Van Susteren’s lead. Fox News star Megyn Kelly could be the next individual to leave the network as her contract expires in July, and Yahoo! News reported that the show host has hired a publicist outside of the cable company to help with her book deal and other activities.

If Greta Van Susteren is positioned to become a pioneer, Fox News Channel and owner Rupert Murdoch may have been attempting to show other television personalities that exercising their “key man” clause will be treated as a final act. According to CNN Money, Greta Van Susteren notified Fox News her intentions to leave the channel on Thursday, yet the television personality had expected to continue her hosting gig for at least a few more weeks.

Instead, Greta Van Susteren received a 9 a.m. courier-delivered pair of letters on Tuesday to notify her that she “was being taken off the air” that night, husband and high-powered Washington D.C. lawyer John Coale told CNN Money. Coale called the move to immediately remove Greta Van Susteren from On The Record “a bit immature” and a direct message from Rupert Murdoch as the Fox New Channel owner was upset over recent contract negotiations between the two parties.

A lawyer who grew to fame during the O.J. Simpson trial of the 1990s on CNN, Greta Van Susteren made her decision prior to the Labor Day weekend, according to USA Today. Greta Van Susteren explained that Fox News Channel had felt the same for “a few years,” leading her to make this decision according to her Facebook post.

“Last Thursday night, I made my decision and informed Fox News of my decision at that time that I was leaving Fox News Channel per my contract. Fox has not felt like home to me for a few years and I took advantage of the clause in my contract which allows me to leave now. The clause had a time limitation, meaning I could not wait.”

Greta Van Susteren wrote that the hardest part of her decision was leaving the friendships she had formed with co-workers and fellow Fox News Channel personalities. Viewers of her show were also near and dear to her, the broadcast journalist explained.

“I love my staff, I love my colleagues, and I love the crews. That is the hardest part of this decision as they are wonderful people. And most of all? I love the viewers — even the ones who have gotten mad at me over the years and taken swipes.“

Despite the abrupt exit from Fox News Channel, Greta Van Susteren hoped to continue her career according to her Facebook post. Greta Van Susteren — who had anchored On The Record for more than a decade — will be replaced by senior political analyst Brit Hume for the remainder of the presidential election cycle, Fox News Channel announced later Tuesday.

What do you think about Greta Van Susteren leaving Fox News Channel abruptly Tuesday? Leave your thoughts in the comment section below.

[Photo by Paul Morigi/Getty Images]

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