Fox News Signs Shepard Smith To Long-Term Deal

Fox News has re-signed longtime anchor Shepard Smith to a new multiyear deal, according to an announcement by 21st Century Fox and Fox News Executive Chairman Rupert Murdoch.

“Shepard Smith is an exemplary journalist whose skill in anchoring breaking news is unrivaled. His powerful storytelling on both television and digital platforms has elevated our entire news gathering process,” Murdoch said.

According to The Hill, Smith, 54, began with the network at its inception in 1996. He will continue to serve as its chief news anchor and managing editor of breaking news and said in the deal's announcement that he is "honored to continue to call Fox News my home."

Meanwhile, Smith says opinion programming on his network doesn't "really have rules" and exists "strictly to be entertaining," in an interview published Thursday.

"Some of our opinion programming is there strictly to be entertaining," Smith told Time Magazine's Daniel D'Addario in a piece titled, "Shep Smith Has the Hardest Job on Fox News."

“We serve different masters," Smith, 54, added when discussing the difference between the opinion side of Fox News, including shows such as "The Sean Hannity Show," and the network's news division. "We work for different reporting chains, we have different rules. They don’t really have rules on the opinion side. They can say whatever they want. If it’s their opinion."

According to Nielsen Media Research, "Shepard Smith Reporting," which airs at 3 p.m., averaged 1.6 million viewers and 335,000 in the key 25–54 demographic that advertisers covet most, topping CNN and MSNBC in both categories.