Eric Spinato, a senior head booker and senior story editor for Fox News Channel and Fox Business Network, died over the weekend, the network announced on air Monday.
He was described as "a driving force" in launching Fox Business in 2007.
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CNN reported that Spinato's brother, Dean, said on social media that his brother had died of COVID-19.
Maria Bartiromo saluted Spinato as a dear friend and talented colleague. Fox did not disclose his age but according to reports he was 52.
"Please pray for the family of Eric Spinato," tweeted Kayleigh McEnany, former White House Press Secretary under President Trump. "This is a sad and tragic loss for the Fox family. I worked with Eric after college, and he was wonderful. Sending prayers."
Before joining Fox, Spinato had been senior program producer at MSNBC (Rita Cosby: Live & Direct) and before that an editorial producer and anchor for CNN (Paula Zahn Now).
He had served an earlier stint at FNC as senior producer and head booker from 1998 to 2004, according to his Linked In profile.
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His resume also included news producer for The Montel Williams Show, assignment editor at News 12 Long Island and managing editor at WLNY-TV Melville, N.Y.
He had a BA in communications of arts, TV and radio from the New York Institute of Technology.
Contributing editor John Eggerton has been an editor and/or writer on media regulation, legislation and policy for over four decades, including covering the FCC, FTC, Congress, the major media trade associations, and the federal courts. In addition to Multichannel News and Broadcasting + Cable, his work has appeared in Radio World, TV Technology, TV Fax, This Week in Consumer Electronics, Variety and the Encyclopedia Britannica.
