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Fox News pulled the plug at the last minute on Sean Hannity’s tea party show yesterday from Cincinnati because execs were unaware the appearance was being used to sell tickets to the event – but the story isn’t over.

We hear execs at FNC, including CEO Roger Ailes, remain furious because they were blindsided by Hannity’s staff.

Matea Gold of the Los Angeles Times reported yesterday that the network was planning “an extensive post-mortem about the incident with [EP John] Finley and Hannity’s staff.” We hear there are still post-mortems going on – in other words, this is far from over.

This afternoon, conservative commentator Debbie Schlussel wrote a lengthy blog post about the behind-the-scenes trouble Hannity and staff had gotten themselves into over the incident (via Johnny Dollar). We hear Schlussel’s info was in line with what has been happening since late yesterday afternoon when FNC abruptly canceled the event and flew Hannity and staff back to New York. Here’s part of Schlussel’s post:

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You have to read between the lines on the LA Times Hannity story and know the background. The order to cancel Hannity’s Tea Party broadcast came from FOX News Chairman Roger Ailes, not Senior Vice President Bill Shine–a shameless Hannity toady.

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Shine was quoted in the LAT story, saying, in part, “When senior executives in New York were made aware of this, we changed our plans for tonight’s show.”

Schlussel closes with, “Yes, the once-hot FOX News property, Sean Hannity, is not only self-destructing, he’s proving to be a liability and a headache not worth the male diva prima donna act,” and continues to speculate about Hannity losing his timeslot. That’s overstating matters a bit.

But this incident does show something that extends beyond just Sean Hannity. This tea party event wasn’t just a chance for Hannity to broadcast his 9pmET FNC show. He was there for his radio show, to maybe sell some books (and some future books), hell, even to gain some followers on Twitter (where he promoted the event yesterday…up until the plug was pulled). This incident shows what can happen when major FNC personalities put their personal interests and side projects ahead of Fox News. As FNC grows into the unmatched powerhouse it has become, so too have their big stars become that much bigger. Glenn Beck, Bill O’Reilly, and yes, Hannity.

This incident reflects poorly on Fox News, and the speed with which they clamped down on the matter shows how seriously they view the infraction. It also shows there could be more punishment ahead.

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Fox News has canceled Sean Hannity’s plans for a live Tea Party show in Cincinnati tonight after officials found out that their primetime talent was being used to sell tickets. Hannity has been hosting his show from various tea party rallies across the country lately in front of a live audience, but today his program was ordered to return to New York.

Apparently, Fox News officials were not notified that Hannity’s image would be used for profit. Not only were ticket prices determined relative to distance from Hannity himself, Hannity’s name was used to promote the rally, set at the University of Cincinnati.

Hannity’s run-in with his higher-ups comes soon after News Corp president Rupert Murdoch suggested that Fox News should not be supporting the Tea Party movement or any political party.

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Angry Fox News executives ordered host Sean Hannity to abandon plans to broadcast his nightly show as part of a Tea Party rally in Cincinnati on Thursday after top executives learned that he was set to headline the event, proceeds from which would benefit the local Tea Party organization.

Rally organizers had listed Hannity, who is on a book tour, as the headliner of the four-hour Tax Day event at the University of Cincinnati. The rally, expected to draw as many as 13,000 people, was set feature speakers such as “Liberal Facism” author Jonah Goldberg and local Tea Party leaders. Participants were being charged a minimum of $5, with seats near Hannity’s set going for $20, according to the Cincinnati Enquirer, which reported that any profits would go to future Tea Party events. Media Matters for America noted that Hannity’s personal website directed supporters to a link to buy tickets for the Cincinnati rally.

But senior Fox News executives said they were not aware Hannity was being billed as the centerpiece of the event or that Tea Party organizers were charging for admission to Hannity’s show as part of the rally. They first learned of it Thursday morning from John Finley, Hannity's executive producer, who was in Cincinnati to produce Hannity's show.

Furious, top officials recalled Hannity back to New York to do his show in his regular studio. The network plans to do an extensive post-mortem about the incident with Finley and Hannity's staff.

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On August 28, Fox News devoted live coverage and publicity to the kickoff of the Tea Party Express, a bus tour organized by the Republican PAC Our Country Deserves Better, whose mission is to oppose President Obama and the Democrats. Fox News' kickoff coverage follows numerous promotions of the tour on Fox News, Fox Business, The Fox Nation, and FoxNews.com.

Fox News heavily promotes Tea Party Express with promos on air and online

Fox Nation asked: "Will you join the Tea Party Express?" On July 28, Fox Nation posted a promotional ad for the Tea Party Express using the headline, "Will You Join the Tea Party Express?" From The Fox Nation:

The Our Country Deserves Better PAC used Fox Nation's promotion of its video in a July 29 fundraising email.

Fox & Friends tells viewers "how you can join" Tea Party Express. During its August 19 broadcast, Fox & Friends hosted Tea Party Express organizer and OCDB vice chairman Mark Williams, who has said Obama lacks a valid birth certificate and has compared "Obama's death panels" to Nazi experiments. During the segment, Fox News helped viewers find out "how you can join" the tour by noting the dates and locations of 22 upcoming stops.

Fox News anchor Bream: "We want to let folks know" Tea Party schedule so "they can be a part" of events. The August 23 edition of Fox News' America's News HQ hosted Williams to promote the tour. During the segment, host Shannon Bream said of the tour's schedule:

Jenkins promotes upcoming Fox coverage on Greta. On the August 25 edition of Fox News' On the Record, correspondent Griff Jenkins promoted Fox News' coverage of the Tea Party Express, stating that "a Tea Party Express, which we will cover here, begins Friday in California, making its way all the way to Washington."

Fox's Business' Cavuto hosts Williams to promote tea parties. During the August 27 edition of Fox Business' Cavuto, host Neil Cavuto promoted the tour and interviewed Williams. During the segment, Fox Business ran a graphic map of the tour's path through the country and posted the tour's website address.

" 'Hannity' Hops the Tea Party Express!" In an August 27 post on Sean Hannity's FoxNews.com blog, a producer wrote that Hannity "will be along for the ride!" adding: "Click here for more on the tour and to find the tea party nearest you." From the post, titled, " 'Hannity' Hops the Tea Party Express!":

Hannity's post was celebrated on the Tea Party Express blog in an August 27 entry, titled, "Sean Hannity blogs about the Tea Party Express!"

Hannity: Griff Jenkins at "every single place." On the August 27 edition of Fox News' Hannity, Hannity said:

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HANNITY: And now, starting this weekend, by the way, the Tea Party Express tour kicks off, where Americans from all over the country are going to hit the streets to voice their grievances over government spending and, of course, universal government health care. And our own Griff Jenkins is going to stop every single place, and he's starting this weekend and he's going to be checking in and giving us an update and blogging with the latest video on our Great, Great American Blog, and we'll also be checking in with him in our -- all throughout the next week, so that's coming up.

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Fox News reports live from Tea Party Express kickoff
On August 28, Fox News dispatched Jenkins and reporter William La Jeunesse to the Tea Party Express kickoff in Sacramento. Between 8 a.m. and noon ET, La Jeunesse filed two live reports for Fox News and one for Fox Business.

La Jeunesse: "Hopefully Washington will listen to their concerns." During the August 28 edition of Fox News' Fox & Friends, La Jeunesse reported live from Sacramento on the kickoff of the Tea Party Express. At the conclusion of his report, La Jeunesse said of the tour's concerns: "[T]hey believe, collectively, that they at least have a voice, and hopefully Washington will listen to their concerns."

La Jeunesse interviews Mark Williams. During the August 28 edition of Fox News' America's Newsroom, La Jeunesse interviewed Williams. La Jeunesse asked Williams, "critics like Speaker Pelosi say this is Astroturf, that basically Republican operatives like yourself are organizing this with one goal in mind, to unseat Democrats." Williams responded:

La Jeunesse also reported live from the kickoff for the 11 a.m. ET hour of Fox Business.

Jenkins covering Tea Party Express for Greta and Hannity. As previously noted, Hannity said that Jenkins "is going to stop at every single place, and he's starting this weekend and he's going to be checking in and giving us an update and blogging with the latest video." And according to a Fox News promo, Jenkins will also be "LIVE at the kickoff bus tour" for the August 28 edition of On the Record.

Tea Party Express: Organized by anti-Dem PAC with history of smearing Democrats

Tea Party Express' purpose is to "highlight some of the worst offenders in Congress." Our Country Deserves Better PAC's website states that the Tea Party Express "will host a series of tea party rallies all across the nation. ... At each stop the tour will highlight some of the worst offenders in Congress who have voted for higher spending, higher taxes, and government intervention in the lives of American families and businesses. These Members of Congress have infringed upon the freedom of the individual in this great nation, and its time for us to say: 'Enough is Enough!' " [TeaPartyExpress.org, accessed 8/19/09]

Tea Party Express' "Target[s]" -- since removed -- were all Democrats.

OCDB's website previously contained a section -- at http://www.teapartyexpress.org/races/index.html -- titled, "Target Races," which stated that in "order for the Tea Party movement to truly have an impact, we must vote out of office those politicians who have betrayed their constituents by pushing through massive deficits, higher taxes and government intervention into the private sector and private lives of American families." All 30 targets listed as of July 28 were Democrats. The section of the website has been removed since Media Matters for America last accessed and reviewed the section. [TeaPartyExpress.org, accessed 7/28/09]

OCDB formed by Republicans. OCDB PAC "was formed in August [2008] by California political consultant Sal Russo and former California Assemblyman Howard Kaloogian." [Associated Press,10/16/08] As their OCDB biographies note, Russo is a veteran Republican consultant, and Kaloogian served as a Republican in the California Assembly.

OCDB's mission is to oppose Obama and "Democratic Congress." On its "About Us" page, OCDB states that "we must stand up to Barack Obama and the Democrat-controlled Congress." The PAC also solicits contributions by stating, "Help us fight the Democratic Congress!"

In 2008, OCDB's sole objective was Obama's defeat. NPR reported on September 26, 2008, that OCDB's website then said "it has one objective: to defeat Obama." During the 2008 campaign, the PAC hosted "patriotic, pro-McCain/Palin rallies" to "Stop Obama."

OCDB's history of smears against Democrats. In 2008, OCDB produced ads and videos with such titles as "Obama's Wrong Values," "Obama: Not Faithful to Our Military," and "Obama's Patriotism Problem." A recent ad by the group compared Obama to Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

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In May 1985, Australian publisher Rupert Murdoch announced that he and American industrialist and philanthropist Marvin Davis intend to develop "a network of independent stations as a fourth marketing force" to compete directly with CBS, NBC and ABC through the purchase of six television stations then owned by Metromedia.[10] In July 1985, 20th Century Fox announced that publisher Rupert Murdoch had completed his purchase of 50 percent of Fox Filmed Entertainment, the parent company of 20th Century Fox Film Corporation

On May 6, 1985, Kluge announced the sale of Metromedia's television stations, and Metromedia Producers Corp., to the News Corporation (owned by Australian newspaper publisher Rupert Murdoch) and 20th Century Fox Film Corporation (owned jointly by Murdoch and Marvin Davis) for $3.5 billion. With the exception of WCVB-TV (which was subsequently sold to the Hearst Corporation), all of the former Metromedia stations formed the nucleus of the Fox Broadcasting Company, while MPC was folded into 20th Century Fox Television. The transactions became official on March 6, 1986.

After leaving office in 1989, the Reagans purchased a home in Bel Air, Los Angeles in addition to the Reagan Ranch in Santa Barbara. They regularly attended Bel Air Presbyterian Church[212] and occasionally made appearances on behalf of the Republican Party; Reagan delivered a well-received speech at the 1992 Republican National Convention.[213] Previously on November 4, 1991, the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library was dedicated and opened to the public. At the dedication ceremonies, five presidents were in attendance, as well as six first ladies, marking the first time five presidents were gathered in the same location.[214] Reagan continued to publicly speak in favor of a line-item veto; a constitutional amendment requiring a balanced budget; and the repeal of the 22nd Amendment, which prohibits anyone from serving more than two terms as president.[215] In 1992 Reagan established the Ronald Reagan Freedom Award with the newly formed Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation.[216] His final public speech was on February 3, 1994 during a tribute to him in Washington, D.C., and his last major public appearance was at the funeral of Richard Nixon on April 27, 1994.

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