Newsmax is making a major change to its primetime lineup, giving Rob Finnerty the 8 p.m. timeslot beginning Oct. 8, when he will host a new program called Finnerty.
Finnerty is currently co-host of the conservative cable news channel’s morning show Wake-Up America, alongside Sharla McBride. It is not clear what Newsmax’s plans will be for the morning program going forward.
The 8 p.m. timeslot previously belonged to Eric Bolling, but Bolling, a former Fox News host who joined Newsmax in 2021, left the channel earlier this year.
Newsmax’s lineup also includes former CNN, Fox News and MSNBC host Greta Van Susteren at 6 p.m., former Fox News host Rob Schmitt at 7 p.m. Greg Kelly at 9 p.m., and a panel show led by Chris Plante at 10 p.m.
“Rob has demonstrated success in our morning show and connects with our audience in a powerful way, and we believe he will continue that success in primetime,” Newsmax CEO Chris Ruddy said in a statement.
“For far too long cable news has been a monolith – with very few options available to the American people, but Newsmax is proof that the model is changing and I feel incredibly honored to be a part of that change,” says Finnerty. “Ever since I got here, Newsmax has kept growing and growing, which is amazing for this industry. This is the opportunity of a lifetime, and I am so grateful to Newsmax and its team led by CEO Chris Ruddy.”
Newsmax settled a high-profile defamation lawsuit brought last month by the voting machine company Smartmatic. The company is also engaged in litigation against Fox News over similar claims around its coverage of the aftermath of the 2020 election.
It is also weighing an IPO, with Ruddy telling The Hollywood Reporter earlier this year that the company expects to bring in between $180 million-$200 million in revenue this year.
