When Fox announced, on the heels of the enormous settlement with Dominion, that Tucker Carlson would not be on air the following Monday, speculation was rampant as to where Carlson would go next, and what was the underlying cause.
The details are just starting to unravel but Tucker appears to be doing well.
Photos of him enjoying time off with family and a video statement that raises more questions than it answers suggest that Carlson is on top of the situation.
Less than a week since Fox News took its top-rated star host off the air it doesn’t appear as though he’s going to be unemployed for long.
There has been much speculation as to what Carlson will do next, including starting his own network, creating his own podcast, or even taking a new gig with a rival network. And to that latter option, one appears to have stepped up with a big-time offer: Newsmax.
According to TMZ, Newsmax has not only offered Carlson his own show, but he would also be in charge of programming for the entire network, which has seen a bump in viewership following Carlson’s ouster from Fox.
“Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ … the news channel is doing everything it can to sweeten the deal for Tucker to come on board — including floating the idea of letting him program the whole channel, not just his own show,” the outlet reported.
“That would be a pretty enticing deal point … in addition to having his own primetime show, Tucker would have a say over what shows lead into and out of his show, which can be key in achieving bigger TV ratings,” the report added.
“While our sources stress Newsmax hasn’t formally offered Tucker a job — he can’t have formal discussions due to his current Fox News contract — we’re told the network execs have made it clear to people around him, they would basically give him a big say in rebranding their channel,” TMZ said.
“Our sources acknowledge it’s too early to know for sure where Tucker will pop up next, and it might not even be at a TV network … but we’re told whatever he does, it’s going to be big, disruptive, and will create a seismic shift in the conservative media landscape,” the outlet added.
Still, questions have not been answered. Why cut your top star and money maker when facing a large lawsuit payoff? That is the question all have for Fox. Speculation is all over the place as to the seemingly instantaneous action by the network.
Carlson himself has guessed that he was let go because the Murdoch family is preparing to sell the network, but other conservatives wonder if his proclivity for breaking key political stories is a problem for some who want him silenced before the 2024 presidential election.
In a story such as this, there will be subplots. Now one has reared its head, and it goes to the speculation on silencing Carlson. Carlson’s former Fox peer Megyn Kelly broke the news regarding Carlson’s departure from Fox News on Monday, saying that the top-rated former host can’t really go anywhere else at the moment because Carlson remains under contract with Fox.
“I wanna, I think, break some news for you. Tucker Carlson hasn’t actually been fired,” she said during her Thursday podcast on SiriusXM. “He’s still an employee of Fox News Channel,” Kelly told the public.
Conservative Brief reports that Kelly went on to explain that Carlson was contacted by CEO Suzanne Scott and told that he would not be allowed to do any more shows and that he was denied access to the company email. She also said that now, the two would have to “negotiate an exit” from the network.
She also said that the call from Scott caught “Tucker completely off guard” but that he’s “not fired.”
“That’s my information, that he still needs to negotiate the exit and that right now he’s not free to launch a podcast or a digital show or negotiate with other employers at all because he’s still under contract,” Kelly continued.
She also said Carlson repeatedly attempted to find out why he was being taken off the air and was rebuffed by Scott. The firing came as Carlson had been negotiating a new contract that would have reportedly kept him at the network through 2029, according to an Independent report.
“To me, that is so disheartening,” Kelly went on, explaining that Carlson managed to succeed and help the network succeed through one of its most turbulent periods — the dismissal of long-time CEO Roger Ailes and the loss of two of the network’s top stars at the time, Bill O’Reilly and herself.
And then she asked the question of the moment:
“So, why now? What was it that led them to treat their No. 1 star with such disdain?” Kelly mused.
Former Top Fox News host and insider Megyn Kelly reveals Tucker not actually FIRED from Fox yet— This is what's REALLY happening…
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) April 27, 2023
