THE FORMER US vice presidential candidate and conservative favourite Sarah Palin has been dropped from her role as a political commentator with the Fox News television channel in the US.

The US broadcaster said that it was parting ways with the 2008 Republican nominee with a source telling Associated Press that the split was amicable following discussions over a new contract.

In the end Palin, who first began contributing to Fox News in 2010 , decided that she wanted to do other things, a source told AP.

The former Alaska governor has been a favourite among Tea Party activists in the Republican Party in recent years but did not run in the last election choosing instead to stay on the sidelines and contribute regular views to Fox News.

As the Christian Science Monitor reports, the network built a studio in her home in Wasilla, Alaska and she consistently railed against the Obama administration and the media’s portrayal of her, nicknaming them the “lamestream media”.

CSM reports that Palin’s relationship with Fox News CEO Roger Ailes – who previously said he hired her because “she was hot and got ratings” – were testy.

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