Fox News Signs Anchor Shepard Smith to New Multiyear Deal

"Shepard Smith is an exemplary journalist whose skill in anchoring breaking news is unrivaled," Rupert Murdoch said.

Fox News has signed anchor Shepard Smith to a new multiyear contract, the network announced Thursday. The length of Smith's new contract was not disclosed.

"Shepard Smith is an exemplary journalist whose skill in anchoring breaking news is unrivaled," Fox News executive chairman Rupert Murdoch said in a statement. "His powerful storytelling on both television and digital platforms has elevated our entire news gathering process."

Smith has been with Fox News since the network's founding in 1996. "I am incredibly proud to be part of a group of journalists who helped build the Fox news division from scratch 22 years ago and extremely thankful for the opportunity to continue to lead our breaking news coverage for years to come," he said.

"Our team's commitment to delivering facts to our loyal viewers in context and with perspective, without fear or favor, is unwavering," Smith continued. "The investment that Mr. Murdoch has infused into our already strong news division affords us endless opportunities. I am excited for the future and honored to continue to call Fox News my home."

Smith's last publicly reported contract extension was in September 2013, when then-Fox News head honcho Roger Ailes called him "a premier journalist and one of the finest newsmen of the modern era."

In September, Fox News announced that it re-signed fellow news anchor Chris Wallace to a multiyear deal. At the time, Wallace said that Murdoch asked him to stay on "well past the 2020 election."