Molly Qerim's successor on First Take has been signed by ESPN. The network told Front Office Sports that Shae Cornette and Stephen A. Smith would be hosting. Shae Cornette was selected by the network to take Molly Qerim's place on "First Take" following a month-long audition process, Front Office Sports announced Thursday. On November 3, Cornette will formally take over as host of First Take. Smith, who earns $20 million annually, is one of the network's highest-paid performers. He is also the executive producer of the venerable "Embrace Debate" program. He will therefore probably need to approve the final decision. Molly Qerim abruptly quit First Take last month, and several of her coworkers and an ESPN executive speculated that it had to do with contract negotiations and her future

See Full Page