Fox News is undergoing a major shakeup as its popular prime-time host, Tucker Carlson, has parted ways with the network. The decision comes in the wake of repeated controversies over Carlson's statements on various issues, including election fairness and LGBTQ rights. The departure of the network's biggest star leaves a significant gap in its schedule.
In a statement released on Monday, Fox News Media confirmed that it has agreed to part ways with Carlson. The company thanked him for his service as a host and a contributor. Carlson's last show aired on Friday, and Fox News has announced that it will be rotating through a series of guest hosts until a replacement is found.
The timing of Carlson's departure is notable, as it comes just a week after Fox Corp., the parent company of Fox News, reached a settlement agreement in a defamation suit brought by Dominion Voting Systems Inc. The network's chairman, Rupert Murdoch, his son, Lachlan, who is Fox Corp.'s CEO, Fox News CEO Suzanne Scott, and network host Maria Bartiromo, were all scheduled to testify in the case.
Carlson, who previously worked as an editor at the Weekly Standard and co-host on CNN, has become Fox News' biggest star in recent years. In 2020, he reportedly earned around $10 million per year. His show, Tucker Carlson Tonight, is the top-rated prime-time show on cable TV, excluding sports, with a nightly audience that has at times exceeded 3.7 million viewers.
However, Carlson's controversial comments on air have often caused problems for Fox News' business. Over the years, he has faced several advertiser boycotts over his commentary, such as in 2018 when advertisers pulled their ads following his remarks about immigrants.
Carlson's departure is the latest in a series of big-name personalities leaving the network. Former Fox News star Bill O'Reilly left in 2017 amid allegations of misconduct, while longtime Fox News anchor Shepard Smith departed two years later. Last week, Dan Bongino, host of the weekend Fox News show Unfiltered, left after failing to reach a contract extension agreement with the network.
Despite Carlson's departure, some experts do not believe it will have a significant impact on Fox News. Andrew Tyndall, who writes a newsletter about broadcast news, stated that the network's publicity department would make a star out of whoever replaces Carlson in his time slot. Tyndall added that Fox News has previously survived and thrived despite the departures of Glenn Beck, Bill O'Reilly, Megyn Kelly, and Shepard Smith, as its viewers watch the channel, not the personality.