At Large with Geraldo Rivera Returns to FOX News Channel

Thursday January 4, 2:39 pm ET

Rivera Signs New Multi-Year Deal with FNC

NEW YORK -- At Large with Geraldo Rivera will return to FOX News Channel (FNC) on Saturday and Sunday evenings (timeslot to be determined) as part of a new multi-year deal with Geraldo Rivera and the cable network, announced Roger Ailes, Chairman and CEO, FOX News and Chairman, FOX Television Stations. In addition to hosting his signature program, Rivera will continue to make guest appearances on The O'Reilly Factor and serve as a correspondent at large during major breaking news events.

Because of his return to FNC, the syndicated Geraldo at Large will cease production in mid-January at which time FOX Television Stations will explore new syndicated fare to replace the program.

In making the announcement, Ailes said, "Geraldo is a great talent and did a tremendous job for us in syndication. His ratings were climbing in several markets, including New York. However, with the soft ad marketplace, the lack of an early news lead-in for his show in several cities and the timeline for financial success, I've asked him to come back to FOX News Channel. We look forward to bringing his special journalistic skills back to FNC."

Geraldo Rivera added, "I'm proud to work for Roger and I'm a team player. FOX News Channel is the best outfit in the business and the new deal allows me to cover breaking news and work with one of the most talented group of reporters in the world. Roger and I go back decades and I want to thank him for another great opportunity.

FOX Television Stations CEO, Jack Abernethy, commented, "We want to thank Geraldo for always bringing viewers compelling news stories through the syndicated program. His strong in-depth reporting and that of his correspondents was well-received in top ten markets such as Dallas, Atlanta and Detroit and we appreciate the hard work and dedication put forth by the entire Geraldo At Large staff."

Upon joining FNC as a war correspondent in 2001, Rivera was immediately stationed in Afghanistan to cover Operation Enduring Freedom and later in Bethlehem to cover the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. In 2005, he reported on the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, the Iraqi elections and most notably secured an exclusive interview with Michael Jackson on the evening before his trial for child molestation charges.

A recipient of more than 170 journalism awards, Rivera began his career as a reporter for WABC-TV in New York where he presented a series exposing the conditions at the Willowbrook State School for the mentally ill. These reports led to a government investigation which eventually shut down the institution. Rivera later joined ABC News, where he was a member of the original cast of ABC's Good Morning America and presented the first television broadcast of the Abraham Zapruder film of President Kennedy's assassination as host of Good Night America. He also served for eight years as an investigative reporter for 20/20.

In 1987, Rivera began producing and hosting The Geraldo Rivera Show for 11 seasons and later served as host of CNBC's number-one rated prime time program Rivera Live, where his critically-acclaimed coverage of the O.J. Simpson civil trial verdict set an all-time CNBC ratings record.

FOX News Channel (FNC) is a 24-hour general news service covering breaking news as well as political, business and entertainment news. For more than four years, FNC has been the most watched cable news channel in the nation and currently presents 10 out of the top 12 programs in cable news. Owned by News Corp., FNC is available in more than 85 million homes.

The Fox Television Stations group, headed by Chairman Roger Ailes, is one of the nation's largest owned-and-operated network broadcast groups, comprising 35 stations in 26 markets and covering nearly 45% of U.S. television homes. This includes six duopolies in the top 10 markets: New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Dallas, Washington, D.C. and Houston, as well as duopolies in Minneapolis, Phoenix and Orlando.