Bill Hemmer chosen as Shepard Smith's permanent replacement on Fox News

Bill Hemmer, currently a co-anchor on Fox News' "America's Newsroom," has been chosen as Shepard Smith’s permanent replacement on the network, according to a statement from Fox News on Monday.

Hemmer, a former CNN anchor who joined Fox News in 2005, is expected to move to Smith's former 3 p.m. slot on Jan. 20. 

The show will be titled, "Bill Hemmer Reports."

“Bill is an incredible newsman and his ability to cut to the heart of the story while humanizing major events has made him a standout talent in news," said Jay Wallace, president and executive editor of FOX News Media in the announcement. "As we start gearing up for the 2020 election, we are thrilled to have him lead our news division through what will sure to be an eventful year.”

A rotating number of journalists will join anchor Sandra Smith on "America's Newsroom" until a permanent co-anchor to replace Hemmer is announced, according to Fox News.

“As a journalist, l am extremely grateful for this opportunity. 2020 will undoubtedly be a year of great significance," Hemmer said in the Monday release. "Leading our breaking news division with a signature hour has enormous value to me, personally, and to our audience. We’ve got a fantastic team here and I am excited to get to work.”

Shepard Smith abruptly left the network in October after 23 year, saying he wanted to "begin a new chapter." He had first joined Fox News in 1996 as one of its original hires, covering major breaking stories for the past two decades.

During the past few years, Smith had drawn the ire of President Trump after pushing back on various remarks from the president.

  Hemmer is the founding co-anchor of America’s Newsroom, which debuted in 2009.

He also served as a presidential primary debate moderator during the 2016 presidential election along with "The Story" anchor Martha MacCallum.