Canned From NPR, Juan Williams Lands New Fox Gig

That was quick. Only a day after getting canned from NPR for saying that riding on the same airplane with traditionally clothed Muslims made him “nervous” and “worried,” Juan Williams has landed a new $2 million deal with Fox News.

Tribune Company/LA Times reporter Matea Gold has the scoop:

Fox News Chief Executive Roger Ailes handed Williams a new three-year contract Thursday morning, in a deal that amounts to nearly $2 million, a considerable bump up from his previous salary, the Tribune Washington Bureau has learned. The Fox News contributor will now appear exclusively and more frequently on the cable news network and have a regular column on FoxNews.com.

“Juan has been a staunch defender of liberal viewpoints since his tenure began at Fox News in 1997,” Ailes said in a statement, adding a jab at NPR: “He’s an honest man whose freedom of speech is protected by Fox News on a daily basis.”

Williams regularly appears on Fox News as a commentator, so the move isn’t exactly a surprise. The press alone for the hire, in the wake of Williams’ controversial exit, is probably worth the price of Williams’ contract.

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