Bret Baier Re-Signs With Fox News Channel Through 2016 Election

10:45 AM PDT 5/9/2012 by Michael O'Connell

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The "Special Report" anchor secures a multi-year deal to lead political coverage for at least the next four years.

Bret Baier joins Bill O'Reilly as one of the Fox News Channel personalities to recently re-up his deal with the top-rated cable news network.

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Baier, who took over as anchor of Special Report from Brit Hume in 2009, will stay with the broadcast through the 2016 election as part of a multi-year contract with FNC. Chairman and CEO Roger Ailes confirmed the news on Tuesday.

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"Bret's tough but fair approach to journalism has made him one of the most trusted news anchors in the industry and an integral part of FNC's success," said Ailes. "I'm proud to have him at the helm of this year's election coverage and for years to come."

Though not the strongest ratings performer at FNC -- Special Report ranks third in total viewers below Bill O'Reilly and Sean Hannity and fifth with adults 25-54 behind, O'Reilly, Hannity, Shepard Smith and Greta Van Susteren -- Baier is still one of cable's strongest daily broadcasts. In the first quarter, the show averaged 1.803 million nightly viewers and 368,000 in the key demo.

As a part of his coverage of the current election cycle, Baier notably landed a sit-down interview with now-presumptive Republican nominee and often interview shy Mitt Romney. The prickly exchange got some viral traction when Baier asked Romney about his reputation as a flip-flopper.