The January 6 committee had its second prime-time hearing on July 21, 2022, enabling millions of people to tune in. The committee focused on unwrapping former US President Donald Trump’s “187 minutes of inaction” as the Capitol building was under siege. 

Top news networks in the United States banked on the large viewership, but Fox News decided not to go live with the hearings. Instead, the channel’s presenters took charge, including Sean Hannity. He described the hearings as a “show trial.”

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The media giant further said in a statement that anchor Shannon Bream will devote her show on July 21 and discuss the proceedings of the January 6 committee. Ratings show that roughly half the network’s audience flees when the hearings start, and return when they are over.

Fox News also snubbed the first prime-time hearings of the House Select Committee, which was the first of its kind. However, the remaining six public hearings were aired on Fox News.

In addition to the live stream on YouTube and Twitter, Thursday’s January 6 hearings were broadcast on channels like ABC, CBS, NBC, PBS, CNN and MSNBC. The panel announced that it will not hold any more hearings till September.

Also Read: Jan 6 hearings: Secret Service feared for their lives, NCS staffer reveals

According to media reports citing ratings from the Nielsen Company, nearly 20 million people watched the first prime-time hearing, which was aired on June 9, 2022. Generally, reaching that big an audience in mid-July would be a long shot, as it is the least-watched television month of the year.

While Fox News host Hannity did not address the January 6 committee’s proceedings while they were underway, he did find multiple other topics to discuss. These included President Joe Biden’s COVID-19 diagnosis, a “meltdown” by liberals over the US Supreme Court’s abortion decision, the failure of drug legalization, “climate crazies” and “trans-affirming” lessons in Los Angeles schools.