In late April, Fox News made a significant impact on the political scene by announcing their decision to part ways with their top-rated host Tucker Carlson. Since then, there have been allegations that the network has been trying to undermine Carlson’s reputation by releasing records of his candid moments during commercial breaks and leaking text messages. Although Fox has denied being responsible for these leaks, critics question the veracity of their statement.
Despite the separation, Carlson is still bound by his contract with Fox until 2025. If he wishes to receive payment, he will have to stay off the air, effectively removing him from political commentary leading up to the 2024 election. His lawyer is presently engaged in negotiations with Fox regarding this issue, while accusing the network of violating the terms of their agreement.
Carlson’s sole statements were made through a Twitter video shared on his personal account, in which he expressed admiration for the American people and criticized the dishonesty prevalent in the media. This video garnered a remarkable 81 million views. Speculation circulated suggesting that Carlson might venture into podcasting or potentially join Newsmax. Additionally, the owner of OANN publicly expressed his willingness to offer Carlson a substantial sum to join their network.
Putting an end to the rumors, Tucker Carlson released a second video on his Twitter account earlier this week. The caption accompanying the video read, “We’re back.” Lasting three minutes, the video commenced with Carlson sharing his views on media falsehoods and flawed fact-checking practices. Towards the conclusion, he emphasized that Twitter remains one of the few remaining platforms supporting free speech and announced his plans to bring a show akin to his former Fox production to the platform, along with additional content.
Since the departure of the beloved host, Fox News has experienced a significant decline in ratings during prime time across all shows. To fill the void left by Carlson, they have been featuring various network personalities in his previous 8 pm time slot. However, this time slot has witnessed a more than 50% drop in ratings, with less than 1.5 million viewers tuning in each night. In contrast, Tucker’s video unveiling his Twitter plans garnered tremendous attention, as over 13 million individuals watched it within just one hour.
