Sarah Palin Joins FOX News As a Political Commentator

Early this afternoon (12:32 PM), Jim Rutenberg at the New York Times was the first to report (h/tp C4P) that Governor Sarah Palin has signed a multi-year contract with FOX news:

Former Gov. Sarah Palin of Alaska has signed on as a contributor to the Fox News Channel.

The network confirmed that Ms. Palin will appear on the
network’s programming on a regular basis as part of a multi-year deal. Financial terms were not disclosed.

Ms. Palin will not have her own regular program, one person familiar with the deal said, though she will host an occasional series that will run on the network from time to time. This
person would not elaborate, but the network does have a precedent for such a series.

Oliver L. North is the host of an occasionally running
documentary series on the military called “War Stories.”

Later this afternoon, FOX News posted this online:

The former Alaska governor, whose book, Going Rogue: An American Life, became a bestseller weeks before it was released and remains No. 2 on the New York Times bestseller list, has signed a multi-year deal to offer her political commentary and analysis across all Fox News platforms, including Fox Business Channel, FoxNews.com and Fox News Radio.

She will also participate in special event political programming for
Fox Broadcasting.

"I am thrilled to be joining the great talent and management team at Fox
News. It's wonderful to be part of a place that so values fair and balanced
news," Palin said in a written release.

Palin will also host periodic episodes of Fox News Channel's "Real American Stories," a series exploring inspirational real-life tales of overcoming adversity throughout the American landscape that will debut in 2010.

"Governor Palin has captivated everyone on both sides of the political spectrum and we are excited to add her dynamic voice to the FOX News lineup," said Bill Shine, executive vice president of programming.

Mike Allen at Politico had this to say:

After spending five months pondering a fat stack of TV offers, former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin has signed a multi-year deal with Fox News to serve as a contributor across all Fox News platforms....

Palin, often described as having the hottest brand in American politics after
President Barack Obama, was eagerly courted by both cable and broadcast networks beginning the day she announced she was leaving the Alaska governorship.

This puts Governor Palin in an excellent position to offer unfiltered political commentary on America's most-watched cable news network. It will also give her a platform from which to speak as she becomes involved in the 2010 mid-term elections and beyond.

Congratulations, Governor Palin and FOX News!