S.E. Cupp, the CNN political commentator and columnist, is hosting a new political talk show, Battleground, for Fox First Run.
The 30-minute show, which will air on Fox TV stations and in syndication, will focus on seven swing states this cycle. Its newsletter launch today is being followed by a broadcast debut on June 10, with clearances on the Fox stations and Bahakel Communications Ltd.’s CW 18 in Charlotte, NC. Plans are for the show to air on Mondays for nine weeks before expanding to five days a week starting in Aug. 12.
The show also will feature local correspondents from Fox stations, including Jeff Cole and Shiba Russell from Fox29 in Philadelphia; Russ Spencer from Fox 5 in Atlanta; John Hook, Ellen McNamara and Steve Nielsen from Fox 10 in Phoenix and Jason Calvi from Fox 6 in Milwaukee.
The states represent 93 electoral votes in the presidential election: Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, North Carolina and Nevada.
Cupp, who will continue on CNN, said in a statement that the seven swing states “have crucial stories to tell, and our fantastic team of reporters and producers will bring these local conversations to a national audience in a unique and rigorous manner, from right where it’s happening, on the ground.”
The show also is a reflection of where local stations are seeing a boon in revenue this year — from political ads. Executive producer Neal Kendall, in his own statement, said, “Our viewers and campaigns that are spending political money will both be paying attention.”