Fox News is about to experience a viewership loss that will make the disaffection over the cable news channel’s premature Arizona call in Election 2020 seem like child’s play.
The abrupt decision by FNC to part ways with Tucker Carlson, it’s top-rated primetime host — and the most influential pundit in America — is stunning.
It is perhaps one of the worst media-business issues of all time.
It’s going to be a ratings debacle for Fox.
#DonewithFox is currently trending on Twitter.
Tucker, however, has a lot of options in this multimedia, Internet-drive universe.
He broadcasts from home studios in Maine and Florida and could theoretically launched an independent content channel on Rumble, for example, tomorrow rather than negotiate with an existing cable network or website.
Although the trajectory is for digital, however, there is a certain level of prestige that still attaches to anchoring a show on cable television. Plus, Tucker’s staff is getting left high and dry because the corporate machinations.
Tucker Carlson covered many issues that the globalists in the Murdoch empire were apparently uncomfortable, and over time, various advertisers pulled out even as he brought in an advertiser-coveted younger demographic.
Tucker’s opening monologues were must-see TV. Whether you agree with his political views or not, writing effective editorials for delivery every night is hard to do.
Tucker’s long-form interviews and documentaries constituted probably the only reason why people subscribed to the Fox Nation streaming service
Undoubtedly there were tensions between Fox and Tucker’s team over editorial policy and that culminated in his departure. Maybe FNC tried to pressure him into trimming his sails, as the saying goes.
The Murdoch properties are all-in for Ron DeSantis, but Carlson was pro-DeSantis and pro-Trump. Was the latter a problem?
Although Carlson reported on voter fraud, does anyone ever remember him discussing the Dominion matter?
NewsNation could catapult itself from obscurity to prominence if they hired him, but NewsNation pretends to be centrist, so that’s probably a no-go zone.
[UPDATE: NewsNation is allegedly interested in hiring Tucker.]
CNN is looking to change its ways, supposedly.
Who knows if Tucker Carlson would even consider a conventional media job anymore as opposed to the freedom of being on his own and to express himself accordingly.
It will be interesting learn the details of how the ouster went down, assuming a non-disclosure agreement is not in play. And did he sign non-compete agreement?
In any event, the social media reaction is still flowing in.
