Greta Van Susteren Will Return to TV with Weekend Political Show
Former Fox News host Greta Van Susteren will be returning to television this fall, Gray TV announced Monday.
In a news release, the network said the program will be called “Full Court Press with Greta Van Susteren,” and described Van Susteren as its chief national political analyst.
Van Susteren began her cable news career with CNN in 1994 as the co-host of “Burden of Proof.” She worked for Fox News from 2002 through 2016, hosting the highly successful show “On the Record.” Although she left Fox for MSNBC in January 2017, her show, “For the Record,” was canceled after six months, The Hill reported.
She then went on to host a Voice of America program “Plugged In with Greta Van Susteren.”
The Atlanta-based Gray TV owns and operated television stations throughout the country. In the news release, Gray Chairman and CEO Hilton Howell Jr. said Van Susteren’s method of covering stories would be of value to Gray’s viewers.
“We believe viewers will embrace Ms. Van Susteren’s firm but tough approach with elected and other leaders to bolster the trusted, quality news our viewers already depend upon,” he said in the release.
“Our goal is to provide critical information without bias, to allow viewers to form their own opinions and reach their own decisions by exploring all sides of a complex issue.”
Gray to Syndicate Weekly Political Series Starring Greta Van Susteren – Broadcasting & Cable https://t.co/Nr4CH7t5wH
— Greta Van Susteren (@greta) April 8, 2019
The network said the show, which debuts in September, “will focus on how policy actions, political decisions, and national events impact local communities across the country through a mix of substantive interviews of newsmakers, roundtable discussions, and both on-the-ground and investigative reports from local stations outside the beltway.”
The show will air Sundays.
In August, Gray will launch “Full Court Press-Overtime” across digital platforms to provide extra interactions for viewers.
“The digital components will give us instant feedback on topics and questions that matter most to viewers,” Van Susteren said in the release.
The show will appear in 93 markets where Gray has a presence, plus television stations in Chicago and Milwaukee.
“It’s perfect for the presidential campaign,” Sandy Breland, Gray’s senior vice president for local media said, told the Los Angeles Times.
“But it will be through the local lens of our stations. We find that, more than ever, our viewers want to know how decisions in Washington will have an impact in their community,” he said.
The local aspect of the show was the focus on comments Van Susteren made to Variety.
She said the Gray TV reporters who will appear on the show “live and breathe in their communities.”
“It is a great access point to get great interviews and a great way to serve local communities,” she said, adding that the local focus will ensure the show covers the issues that matter to voters.
“News isn’t entertainment,” she said. “News is a service.”
Included in its national properties, Gray TV has a market presence in the perennial battleground states of Florida, Arizona, Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania.
Van Susteren said she expects the show will be able to attract presidential candidates to appear on it.
“Politics begins in local markets,” Van Susteren told the Times. “I am now the local media. I’m going to reach their voters.”
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