Anchor Bios
Brandon Armstrong
Brandon Armstrong is a lead anchor for the Onion News Network, where he has established an international reputation for excellence in broadcast journalism. Armstrong made the transition to television news after more than a decade as a print journalist, joining the Onion News Network in 1975 as the network’s correspondent in Lebanon. After being transferred back to the States, Armstrong received the Peabody Award for his live, 98-hour coverage of a hijacked blimp hurtling slowly toward New York City. He is a nine-time recipient of the National Press Club Freedom of the Press Award and a five-time recipient of the DuPont Award for Outstanding Coverage of the Dupont Corporation. Armstrong is also the author of the acclaimed New York Times best seller, Enunciate Clearly To Power. An interesting fact: Armstrong’s sons Brendan and Brent are producers for Today Now!
Clifford Banes
Clifford Banes is one of the most familiar faces in American news, having hosted the popular Sunday-morning roundtable debate program "In The Know” since 1988. Banes is renowned for both his sonorous deep voice and for keeping his own political views a secret – in order to create an unbiased environment for debate. His habit of playing devil’s advocate instead of divulging his personal position on issues is frequently parodied by humorists; talk-show host David Letterman said one would have better luck asking a Coke machine who it was going to vote for and comedian Chris Rock called Banes “a Rottweiler wearing a tie.” Onion News Network recently celebrated Bane’s 20th year leading In The Know with an hour-long special, “The Man Behind The Host.”
Bobbie Battista
After a long and distinguished career in news, Battista quickly established herself an integral member of the Onion News Network team. Equally able as a host, anchor, and reporter, Battista covered such historic events as the fall of the Berlin Wall, the Challenger disaster, and the September 11 terrorist attacks. Battista's unique manner of delivery has been parodied on several humor programs, including NBC’s “Saturday Night Live” and PBS’s “What’s So Funny?” Battista earned a Bachelor's degree in radio, television and film production at Northwestern University. She began her career in radio, but quickly moved on to work at such up-and-coming television networks as WRAL in Raleigh, NC and then CNN in Atlanta. Battista left CNN in 2001, telling Anchor Monthly magazine that she could no longer tolerate the “utter lack of professionalism” at the network. Finding the Onion News Network more to her liking, she now anchors the evening news desk.
Michael Bannon
Michael Bannon is an Onion News Network evening anchor and avid collector of sports cars, in particular Porches. He began his career in journalism at the University of Ohio, where he hosted a call-in TV talk show called "The Michael Bannon Information Hour" on the campus television station, WOUB. Upon graduating college, he was forced to decide whether to follow a career in professional tae kwon do, a martial arts form he had practiced professionally since the age of 15. Bannon's decision was made for him when he was disqualified from the North American tae kwon do championships for an illegal eye jab. He worked as a beat reporter in Columbus, OH for eight years before gaining the attention of the Onion News Network with an investigative report on Ohio's illegal street-racing scene. Bannon has won several journalism awards, including the Peabody Award, the Edward R. Murrow Award for his first book, Homecoming: The Truth Behind America's Disabled Veterans Football League. He co-hosts This Weekend At War with his brother and fellow Onion News Network reporter Glen Bannon.
Glen Bannon
Glen Bannon has worked behind and in front of the cameras at the Onion News Network for almost ten years. He is a segment producer as well as a daytime newsroom anchor. He attended the University of Ohio, where he produced a call-in TV talk show called The Michael Bannon Information Hour on the campus television station, WOUB. Bannon holds a PhD in Criminal Justice, with a specialty in the area of home invasions. He practiced competitive tae kwon do through his college years until an eye injury forced him to give up the sport. He co-hosts This Weekend At War with his brother and fellow Onion News Network anchor Michael Bannon.
Andrea Bennett
Andrea Bennett joined the Onion News Network's newsroom after Onion News Network producer Jory Livingston, vacationing in Miami, saw the 22-year-old Bennett covering a sexual harassment trial on the local news. The producer was so impressed with her attack capabilities that he told the Onion to hire her "at any cost." Bennett complied and has been an important part of the Onion Team ever since, heading the War For The White House Command Center in 2008. Bennett describes her proudest moment as the time she made Senator Russ Feingold cry on the air with her persistent questioning. Bennett created and hosted the popular series Sex & Politics. The reporter Time magazine once called “a Raven-haired fact machine” was the daughter of an Army General and lived in more than a dozen nations during her childhood. In her free time, Bennett enjoys journalism of the paranormal, and particular enjoys investigating abandoned mansions. The New York Times recently called Bennett the "most stalked" news personality of all time. Two interesting pieces of trivia: Bennett can say "breaking news" in 125 languages and is allergic to garlic.
Duncan Birch
A frequent guest on In The Know, Duncan Birch is one of the nation’s most respected non-fiction authors, having written hundreds of books on the most pressing political, social, economic, educational, environmental and historical issues facing the nation today. In a recent interview in Poets & Writers magazine, Birch said he “loves to help people understand things.” Birch says his proudest career accomplishment was solving the abortion debate, which he did in 2007. Birch holds 70 different consulting positions at U.S. businesses, foundations, and institutions. A reality show featuring Duncan will debut on AMC later this year. “Duncan’s Head” will follow Duncan on a book tour of 40 U.S. cities over the course of two months.
Nancy Fichandler
In The Know panelist Nancy Fichandler has a long history of public service. She began her career as a women's rights worker in the 1930s and has labored tirelessly for the downtrodden ever since. She currently serves as chairman of the Future Progress Institute, the activist group she founded in 1978. Fichandler’s book, You Don’t Need A Degree To Do What’s Right has become a handbook of grassroots activism. In the 1980s, Fichandler significantly reduced the bureaucracy inner-city families in her hometown of Philadelphia face while attempting to secure healthcare. More recently, she has been working to secure the right of women to enter the World's Strongest Man competition. In 2006, Fichandler celebrated her 3,000th appearance on "In The Know," making her the show’s most frequent guest.
Tracy Gill
Five million Americans tune in to watch Tracy Gill every morning as she co-hosts the Emmy-winning morning show Today Now! Listed as one of Forbes’ Fifty Most Powerful Women In Television, Tracy has interviewed hundreds of celebrities, newsmakers, and public figures. Gill founded the charity Umbrellas Of Love which seeks to spread the word about the dangers of flying debris through ad campaigns and educational programs. Gill is the subject of an in-depth biography, “Over the Flames an Eagle Soared: The Tracy Gill Story,” which addressed media claims that she is a cutthroat opportunist. In defense of Gill, the author likens Gill to an eagle -- a beautiful and respected figure, but one that must protect itself to survive. Gill is currently married to wealthy television mogul Bob Johanson.
Reggie Greengrass
Senior Onion News Network sports analyst Reggie Greengrass has been bringing his expertise to Onion programming since 1990, when he began appearing as a sports anchor on “Fact Zone." During his career, Greengrass has interviewed such luminaries as the NBA's Michael Jordan, Donkey Basketball's two-time MVD Scraps, and Major League Baseball's Barry Bonds. Greengrass earned an Emmy Award for News and Documentary Reporting in 1996 for his two-week sleepless stretch of live reporting at the Atlanta Olympics. Greengrass hails from Macon, Georgia where he began writing about sports for his high school newspaper, the Macon High Tribune. He is a father of two girls, age 8 and 10, and calls being a dad his most important job after sports reporting.
Jim Haggerty
As co-host of America's favorite morning show, Today Now!, Jim Haggerty is no stranger to adventure. On the show, Haggerty has entered NASA simulators, sky-dived into the Grand Canyon, and chewed coca leaves with a group of Peruvian folk musicians who had appeared on the show. Haggerty’s busy schedule doesn’t stop him from pursuing side ventures. He has his own line of men’s fashions, is the spokesman for the EZ Car Vacuum Kit and authored “The Gentleman’s Guide To Backyard Grilling.” Haggerty studied Psychology at Arizona State University and spent his summers working at a local Renaissance Faire. After college, he moved to New York City and enrolled in a night-school program in broadcasting. His first big break was hosting the Onion Broadcasting Channel talent competition, “Dance, Dance, America, Dance.”
Robert Haige
Robert Haige is a Professor of Media & Politics at the American University, where he has been lecturing on the intersection of mass media and politics for more than a decade. Haige received a B.S.E. with high honors from Princeton University, where he was elected to Phi Beta Kappa, and a PhD from Columbia University. He has written extensively about political campaigning, voting patterns, attack ads, print journalism, blogging, party politics, mass media, and the rise of the internet. Most recently, he has been focusing his studies on reality shows where contestants live in houses. He is currently a member of the steering committee for the Project On Social Capital, Democracy, and Public Affairs, administered by the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and Earlier this year he served as a visiting guest scholar at the Brookings Institution in Washington, D.C. A lover of film, Haige has watched the movie Titanic more than a hundred times.
LauraLee Hickock
Southern author and syndicated columnist LauraLee Hickock is a frequent guest on In The Know. Lauded for her wit, outspoken manner, and unusual aphorisms, Hickock’s politically minded writings have appeared in The New Yorker, The New York Times, and The New York Times Magazine, and Vogue. Her column, Southern But True, appears in more than 100 newspapers nationwide and her weekly radio show by the same name, distributed by Pubic Radio International, is a favorite throughout the south. Hickock’s columns have been collected into numerous books, most recently LauraLee Hickock Will Charm The Pants Off You. Hickock holds an MFA from Brown University.
Leslie Hillerman
In The Know panelist Leslie Hillerman is one of the nation’s leading conservative columnists. A former speechwriter for Colin Powell, her writing has appeared in the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Times, and the New York Post. Hillerman writes a popular blog called "Back On Track,” a title that refers to her often-stated belief that America has gone awry and needs to return to simpler times. A mother to six children, Hillerman cites her traditional values, strong religious beliefs, and compassion for others as the major guiding forces in her life. Hillerman holds degrees in Business, Creative Writing, and Home Economics and has written two advice books, "The Good Parents Guide To Raising Moral Children," and "How To Love Your Life And Your Husband Too." Hillerman says that no matter how busy she is, she always makes time to sit down to breakfast with her family and their dachshund, Reagan.
Julianna McKannis
Host of the evening news magazine Sit Down, America, Julianna McKannis is a regular guest host the debate roundtable, In The Know, as well as a number of morning talk shows. The former child chess champ is a prodigious writer, having spent her life traveling the world researching such diverse topics as the plight of peasants in rural China to the pop stars of Finland. McKannis has authored 14 best selling books, including "Not That Pope" and "Pepsi, Pepsi Everywhere But Not A Drop To Drink." In college, she earned money performing at blues clubs and even released an album of covers, "Also Blue." The visible scars on McKannis' legs are often the subject of speculation; she obtained them during a plane crash while investigating upheaval in the Congo. McKannis names her golden retriever Constance as her favorite traveling companion.
Brian Scott
Brian Scott an Onion News Network in-the-field reporter. He graduated from the University of Southern California with degrees in Philosophy and Broadcast Journalism. Scott interned at a number of Los Angeles area news teams, including KCBS Channel 2, KTTV Channel 11, and KTLA Channel 5. Scott then launched his professional career as an reporter at WOIO in Cleveland, moving to a job as weekend reporter at WCPO in Cincinnati before heading south to pursue an opportunity as a political reporter for Richmond, VA's WRIC. Scott gained further reporting experience a general-assignment reporter at WVIT in Hartford, CT, KBCI in Boise, ID, KIDK in Idaho Falls, ID, KVOA in Tucson, AZ, KBBA in Lake Havasu City, AZ, KPHO in Phoenix, WFOR in Miami, WPEC in West Palm Beach, FL, WZVN in Fort Myers, FL, as well as WBNA in Louisville, KY before joining the Onion News Network team.
Jeff Tate
Jeff Tate is a technology and web reporter for the Onion News Network. Tate is currently the face of the network’s “Tech Trends” segments, after hosting previous technology series "What's Hot," "What's Next," "This Is Next!," "What Will Be Next?," and "The Next Hot Thing." Tate hails from Michigan, where he earned his broadcasting degree at the University of Michigan—Ann Arbor. Tate appeared in front of the camera early, first in a series of commercials for Cream of Wheat at the age of 8 as a spokesman for the OshKosh B'Gosh clothing line at the age of ten. Tate’s interest soon turned to technology and today keeping informed on the newest gadgets is his passion. When he isn’t reporting on the latest trends, he enjoys bicycling, swimming, and hang gliding.
Jean Anne Whorton
A former prime-time anchor, Jean Anne Whorton currently hosts the news magazine program "Beyond The Facts," seen every Sunday night on the Onion News Network. Whorton often proudly relates that she has never left the country and has never finished a book. She cites being named by Psychology magazine as one of "The 25 Most Intuitive People in America" in 2007 as the high point of her career. Whorton has received three Gracie Awards (American Women in Radio and Television National Awards), most recently the prize for Best Network Feature for a story on unsafe conditions at the boarding school her children attend. She holds a bachelor's degree from San Diego State University and a master's degree in history from Capella Online University. An avid collector of Nazi memorabilia, Whorton is married to Olympic gold medalist weightlifter Rodney Whorton, host of "Lift TV" on the Fitness Network.
