MacCallum: AN’s Makeshift Host?

Bill Hemmer: “We’ve been on the job hunt for a year!” A Freudian slip by the America’s Newsroom anchor who reportedly recently renewed his multi-million contract with Fox News? As his AN co-host Martha MacCallum took the week off, his former CNN colleague and recent FNC hire Arthel Neville filled in once again seamlessly for her today. Perhaps, a  tad too well for MacCallum’s comfort.

At the bottom of the nine o’clock hour (ET) on America’s Newsroom this morning, Neville announced that Ellen DeGeneres had quit as a judge on American Idol and that Jennifer Lopez was a potential candidate to replace her. When she had finished, a grinning Hemmer puckishly asked, “So there’s a job opening, right?”* As Neville chuckled in the background, Hemmer cryptically continued, “We’ve been on the job hunt for a year.” However, Hemmer failed to elaborate further.

“We’ve been on the job hunt for a year.” Really? For what position? As the author mulled Hemmer’s words over, he remembered that America’s Newsroom then co-host Megyn Kelly took off approximately year ago (September 2009). However, when her son Yates was born, Kelly did not return to AN: rather, she took the reins of her new show, i.e., America Live. And, MacCallum was ostensibly given Kelly’s baton at AN.

For now, the AN graphics read, “America’s Newsroom w/ Bill Hemmer & Martha MacCallum. But, for how long?

*America’s Newsroom – 07/30/10 (@9:34 a.m. ET)

Tags: America Live, American Idol, Arthel Neville, Bill Hemmer, Ellen Degeneres, FNC, Fox News, Jennifer Lopez, Martha MacCallum, Megyn Kelly