A. J. Hammer
Encyclopedia
A. J. Hammer is a television and radio personality who, as of now, hosts CNN
Headline News evening show, Showbiz Tonight
.
From 2001 to 2005, Hammer hosted Court TV
's Hollywood Heat, a program focusing on crime and justice in the entertainment business. He also hosted several programs on Sirius Satellite Radio
.
Hammer also was a correspondent for several programs including: the daily morning program Good Day New York, the entertainment news program Extra and E!
channel's News Live.
During most of the 1990s, he was a host of VH1
's Top 10 Countdown.
Hammer is a 1984 graduate of White Plains High School, White Plains, New York
. He graduated with a degree in philosophy from the University of Hartford
in 1988. He was involved with the Alpha Epsilon Pi
Fraternity. AEPi is the only official Jewish fraternity in America.
Hammer began his broadcasting career at the age of 15, at WNBC
radio in New York City
. While in college he worked at WTIC-FM
(Hartford, Connecticut
). He later worked for WPLJ
radio and Z-100 (WHTZ
) radio, both in New York City
.
Hammer appears as a model in the book Heartthrob: A Hundred Years of Beautiful Men (in which he is described as possessing "almost-too-good-looking-for-words attractiveness") and the October 1999 issue of Gym magazine. He also appears in The Mane Thing, a book by stylist Kevin Mancuso.
Hammer also was the spokesperson for Milton Bradley
's promotional tour of the Planet Hollywood
board game.
Hammer was also a model in the Debbie Gibson's "What You Want" music video (2001) which involved a bathtub scene. The two were wearing clothes and the tub was filled with cold water 1/4 of the way up (no hot water available) and bubbles to the top.
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
Headline News evening show, Showbiz Tonight
Showbiz Tonight
Showbiz Tonight is an American entertainment news program on HLN .Showbiz Tonight is hosted by A.J. Hammer at CNN New York. The show reports and debates celebrity entertainment news stories and controversies, along with social networking segments involving viewer interaction via social networks and...
.
From 2001 to 2005, Hammer hosted Court TV
Court TV
truTV is an American cable television network owned by Turner Broadcasting, a subsidiary of Time Warner. The network launched as Court TV in 1991, changing to truTV in 2008...
's Hollywood Heat, a program focusing on crime and justice in the entertainment business. He also hosted several programs on Sirius Satellite Radio
Sirius Satellite Radio
Sirius Satellite Radio is a satellite radio service operating in North America, owned by Sirius XM Radio.Headquartered in New York City, with smaller studios in Los Angeles and Memphis, Sirius was officially launched on July 1, 2002 and currently provides 69 streams of music and 65 streams of...
.
Hammer also was a correspondent for several programs including: the daily morning program Good Day New York, the entertainment news program Extra and E!
E!
E! Entertainment Television is an American basic cable and satellite television network, owned by NBCUniversal. It features entertainment-related programming, reality television, feature films and occasionally series and specials unrelated to the entertainment industry.E! has an audience reach of...
channel's News Live.
During most of the 1990s, he was a host of VH1
VH1
VH1 or Vh1 is an American cable television network based in New York City. Launched on January 1, 1985 in the old space of Turner Broadcasting's short-lived Cable Music Channel, the original purpose of the channel was to build on the success of MTV by playing music videos, but targeting a slightly...
's Top 10 Countdown.
Hammer is a 1984 graduate of White Plains High School, White Plains, New York
White Plains, New York
White Plains is a city and the county seat of Westchester County, New York, United States. It is located in south-central Westchester, about east of the Hudson River and northwest of Long Island Sound...
. He graduated with a degree in philosophy from the University of Hartford
University of Hartford
The University of Hartford is a private, independent, nonsectarian, coeducational university located in West Hartford, Connecticut. The degree programs at the University of Hartford hold the highest levels of accreditation available in the US, including the Engineering Accreditation Commission of...
in 1988. He was involved with the Alpha Epsilon Pi
Alpha Epsilon Pi
Alpha Epsilon Pi , the Global Jewish college fraternity, has 155 active chapters in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom and Israel with a membership of over 9,000 undergraduates...
Fraternity. AEPi is the only official Jewish fraternity in America.
Hammer began his broadcasting career at the age of 15, at WNBC
WNBC
WNBC, virtual channel 4 , is the flagship station of the NBC television network, located in New York City. WNBC's studios are co-located with NBC corporate headquarters at 30 Rockefeller Plaza in midtown Manhattan...
radio in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. While in college he worked at WTIC-FM
WTIC-FM
WTIC-FM is a radio station primarily serving the Hartford, Connecticut market, though its signal can be picked up throughout most of Connecticut and into Springfield, Massachusetts. It currently broadcasts a Hot Adult Contemporary format. It is located on the dial at 96.5 MHz...
(Hartford, Connecticut
Hartford, Connecticut
Hartford is the capital of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The seat of Hartford County until Connecticut disbanded county government in 1960, it is the second most populous city on New England's largest river, the Connecticut River. As of the 2010 Census, Hartford's population was 124,775, making...
). He later worked for WPLJ
WPLJ
WPLJ is a radio station in New York City owned by the broadcasting division of Cumulus Media. WPLJ shares studio facilities with sister station WABC inside 2 Penn Plaza in midtown Manhattan, and its transmitter is atop the Empire State Building. The station currently plays a Hot Adult...
radio and Z-100 (WHTZ
WHTZ
WHTZ — branded Z100 — is a commercial pop/contemporary hit radio radio station licensed to Newark, New Jersey serving the New York metropolitan area. The station is currently owned by Clear Channel Communications...
) radio, both in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
.
Hammer appears as a model in the book Heartthrob: A Hundred Years of Beautiful Men (in which he is described as possessing "almost-too-good-looking-for-words attractiveness") and the October 1999 issue of Gym magazine. He also appears in The Mane Thing, a book by stylist Kevin Mancuso.
Hammer also was the spokesperson for Milton Bradley
Milton Bradley
Milton Bradley , an American game pioneer, was credited by many with launching the board game industry in North America with Milton Bradley Company....
's promotional tour of the Planet Hollywood
Planet Hollywood
Planet Hollywood, a restaurant inspired by the popular portrayal of Hollywood, was launched in New York on October 22, 1991, with the backing of Hollywood stars Sylvester Stallone, Bruce Willis, Demi Moore, and Arnold Schwarzenegger.-History:...
board game.
Hammer was also a model in the Debbie Gibson's "What You Want" music video (2001) which involved a bathtub scene. The two were wearing clothes and the tub was filled with cold water 1/4 of the way up (no hot water available) and bubbles to the top.
External links
- Official website
- A.J. Hammer profile at CNN.com