Patterico's Pontifications

4/24/2023

Tucker Carlson Out At Fox News

Filed under: General — Dana @ 9:04 am



[guest post by Dana]

Do I have this right: The hypocrite who peddled lies (with Rupert Murdoch’s tacit approval) about the 2020 election (because that’s what viewers demanded), has been fired “parted ways” with Fox News because those lies ended up costing the company an extraordinary sum of money?

FOX News Media and Tucker Carlson have agreed to part ways. We thank him for his service to the network as a host and prior to that as a contributor.

Mr. Carlson’s last program was Friday April 21st. Fox News Tonight will air live at 8 PM/ET starting this evening as an interim show helmed by rotating FOX News personalities until a new host is named.

Who’s next on the Fox chopping block?

–Dana

121 Responses to “Tucker Carlson Out At Fox News”

  1. Good morning.

    Dana (560c99)

  2. This follows the departure of Dan Bongino from Fox, ostensibly due to “failed contract negotiations. “

    Rip Murdock (d2a2a8)

  3. Wow, just wow. Didn’t see it coming, though it does make sense. Whoever facilitated the stolen election conspiracy memes should be fired. I can imagine a few others getting fired too. The place needs people with more journalistic sense. Still, wonder where he will land. Tucker does have a following…especially in Moscow.

    AJ_Liberty (ec7f74)

  4. Fox would have to completely change its business model if they were to being to employ those who make “journalistic sense”. Given current audience demands, the company would likely become irrelevant to their hard-right audiences. Of course, OANN and Newsmax are in the wings hoping this very thing happens.

    Dana (560c99)

  5. Don Lemon fired from CNN too.

    Dana (560c99)

  6. Only one of Dominion’s 20 defamatory statements came for Tucker; of the remaining 19 interviews or tweets:

    3 involved Maria Bartiromo

    12 involved Lou Dobbs (already out)

    2 involved Jeanne Pirro

    1 involved Sean Hannity

    1 Fox & Friends

    If Fox can fire Tucker, then Maria Bartiromo and Jeanne Pirro aren’t far behind; also some producers may follow. Fox will still need to deal with Smartmatic lawsuit, who is also suing Dobbs, Pirro, and Bartiromo. And their case is even stronger, as Smartmatic only provided voting to one jurisdiction in the US, Los Angeles County.

    Rip Murdock (d2a2a8)

  7. Pirro and Bartiromo …you best not miss with them, if you know what I mean.

    urbanleftbehind (78ca23)

  8. More on Bongino:

    When Dan Bongino went on his podcast Thursday and told listeners he was leaving Fox News, he said it was simply a matter of failing to reach agreement on a new contract—and nothing more than that. “It’s no big conspiracy, I promise you,” he said. “You’re going to read a thousand left-wing articles about some nonsense, and I’m guaranteeing you on my reputation, it is all made up. It’s a simple contract thing, and that’s it. It is no more complicated than that.”
    ……..
    “Dominion truth bomb produces Fox’s first casualty,” was the headline on a post about Bongino at the Washington Press blog, which argued that the $787 million that Fox agreed to pay Dominion Voting Systems to settle its defamation lawsuit was directly responsible for Fox parting ways with Bongino. ……..
    ………
    “Murdoch thinks firing Bongino will fix Fox News’ image,” one conservative commenter suggested on Twitter. On his “open MAGA mic Friday,” conservative radio host Brian Craig told listeners that despite Bongino said about not being fired, “he’s basically been fired. And I know they’re not saying he’s been fired…but he was fired.” Craig said “Fox News got rid of Bongino because they want to look more fair and balanced” in an effort to attract more viewers. “And that’s why Bongino’s out,” he said.
    ###########

    This was not a cost cutting move, nor related to the Dominion lawsuit. Fox has about $4B in cash reserves, and the payment to Dominion is a tax write off for Fox. And Dominion did not cite any statements from Bongino in its lawsuit. Sometimes a contract dispute is a contract dispute.

    Rip Murdock (d2a2a8)

  9. ‘Wow, just wow. Didn’t see it coming…’

    You would have if you understood and ever watching the film, ‘Network.’

    Inevitable. As with Lemon… Television is a business.

    Tucka was an entertainer, an opinionator, just like Rush Limbaugh, not a journalist— and the prime time time slot is as powerful and lucrative- as the show airing in it. Damage the revenue stream and you’re gone. Ask Bill O’Reilly. More amusing is now Tucka has ‘parted ways’ w/MSNBC, CNN and now Fox… but w/other conservative cable news platforms emerging as a FoxNews competitor in recent years, he’ll end up there. It should be quite interesting to see if the audience numbers follow him to another platform, in which case, he’ll be a revenue boost to a fledgling platform like Newsmax or such.

    “Mr. Jensen is unhappy with Howard Beale and wants him discontinued.” – Frank Hackett [Robert Duvall]

    “He may be unhappy, but he isn’t stupid enough to withdraw the number one show on television out of pique.” – Diana Christensen [Faye Dunaway]

    “Two billion dollars is not pique! That’s the Wrath of God! And the Wrath of God wants Howard Beale fired.” – Frank Hackett [Rober Duvall] – ‘Network’ 1976

    DCSCA (e2b265)

  10. I’m curious who his replacement will be. That’s a prime slot, and the selected on-air personality who fills it will more than signal the direction Fox wants to go.

    Dana (560c99)

  11. Don Lemon says he’s been fired by CNN: ‘I am stunned’

    Don Lemon announced Monday that he’s been “terminated” by CNN. The embattled anchor, who joined the network in 2006, faced scrutiny over his alleged sexist behavior, surviving numerous on-air blunders during his tenure, like in February when he declared Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley “isn’t in her prime” at age 51.

    “I was informed this morning by my agent that I have been terminated by CNN,” he shared on social media just hours after appearing on-air Monday morning as usual. “I am stunned.”

    Lemon added, “After 17 years at CNN I would have thought that someone in management would have had the decency to tell me directly. At no time was I ever given any indication that I would not be able to continue to do the work I have loved at the network. It is clear that there are some larger issues at play. With that said, I want to thank my colleagues and the many teams I have worked with for an incredible run. They are the most talented journalists in the business, and I wish them all the best.” yahoonews.com

    Stunned? Didn’t see it coming? Lost his primetime gig, demoted, sent to morning oblivion to share the spotlight w/women he then insults… suspended… sheesh… tie a cowbell around his neck and let him wander through a minefield. Anybody who has worked in television could see the suits in management, which has already said it was retooling the network, had him walking the corporate plank.

    Don, face it: you’re past your prime.

    And when a Lemon is handed lemons— what do you do… make excuses… or lemonade.

    “So long screwy, see ‘ya in St. Louis!” – Bugs Bunny [Mel Blanc]

    DCSCA (e2b265)

  12. Dana,

    It will be someone in the mold of O’Reilly and Tucker. In other words, another self-proclaimed populist. Hopefully one with better judgment on when to cave to the demagogue.

    Appalled (3daece)

  13. I said this would happen. Hannity may be next.

    Kevin M (f94f4f)

  14. @10. Watch the ratings numbers… the time slot is a proven revenue stream as is– so the personality will be icing on the cake. And watch to see if his audience migrates to another platform with him- depending on what the ‘parting ways’ deal was w/Fox management in so far as keeping him off air w/a competitor for a specified time period. Safe bet he’ll be picked up by one of the platforms – like Newsmax. They’ve hired a lot of ex-Fox talkers and news readers.

    DCSCA (e2b265)

  15. Appalled,

    I think that both services are getting rid of their outliars. I would expect that Fox is going to move towards the center, not stay at the fringe. They may keep Hannity, only to keep the Trumpies watching when Tucker winds up at OAN, or Russian state television.

    I would prefer that Fox got back to news instead of the Crossfire format. Hiring some actual center-right newspeople would be a good start. If they just change faces and continue the Trumpiness, they will destroy what is left of their brand.

    Kevin M (f94f4f)

  16. “Fox would have to completely change its business model if they were to being to employ those who make “journalistic sense”.”

    I thought Megyn Kelly and Greta Van Susteren were decent hosts who tried to be fair and balanced. Certainly the network has moved away from that to satisfy the increasingly hyper-partisan atmosphere. Carlson, Hannity, and Ingraham are all hyper-partisans, as is Bongino. Bartiromo used to be less partisan. I think journalistic sense falls along a continuum. You need to have hosts that do not allow unchallenged wild speculation. That’s a low threshold.

    AJ_Liberty (ec7f74)

  17. OAN reminds me a lot of Babylon 5’s “ISN” under the Clarke dictatorship.

    Kevin M (f94f4f)

  18. @16. Never, EVER, forget: The suits run the network, not the on-air talent.

    Mess w/t revenue stream– and you’re history.

    “I argued that television was a volatile industry in which success and failure were determined week by week; Mr. Jensen does not like volatile industries and suggested with a certain sinister silkiness that volatility in business usually reflected bad management.: – Frank Hackett [Robert Duvall] ‘Network’ 1976

    DCSCA (e2b265)

  19. @16:

    Bringing back Megyn, Van Sustern and Shepard Smith would be a good move towards rationality.

    Kevin M (f94f4f)

  20. @15. I would prefer that Fox got back to news instead of the Crossfire format.

    Rip and read news channels don’t generate the revenue stream- that was the original intent of HeadlineNews and CNN had to shutter it.

    DCSCA (e2b265)

  21. When Turner ran CNN, his mission statement was that the news was the star, not the news readers. Cable news lost that long ago w/t infection of verbal pie fights that generate more eyeballs, heat and light…

    DCSCA (e2b265)

  22. Lest we get too giddy, remember that Trump was fired too, and yet he continues to be a malevolent force in society.

    norcal (15fce4)

  23. ‘Stunned’ Don Lemon fired by CNN after sexism scandal: ‘Larger issues at play’

    https://pagesix.com/2023/04/24/stunned-don-lemon-fired-by-cnn-after-sexism-scandal/

    DCSCA (e2b265)

  24. OT- meanwhile, in other news aboard the Titanic:

    Biden adviser Susan Rice leaves White House after migrant child labor reports

    https://nypost.com/2023/04/24/susan-rice-leaving-as-bidens-top-domestic-policy-adviser/

    DCSCA (e2b265)

  25. Contrary to popular belief, we need a center-right news channel. Fox somehow morphed into a cultist echo chamber, but it wasn’t always that.

    Kevin M (f94f4f)

  26. Who’s next on the Fox chopping block?

    –Dana

    All of the big political commentators is my guess. (Hannity, Ingram, etc…)

    whembly (d116f3)

  27. Don Lemon is a diva who was in love with his own voice. His biggest mistake was getting into it with Kaitlin Collins, a rising star at the network. But he also just keeps saying dumb stuff, like his comments about Nikki Haley. The network needs to move to the center and Don ain’t there. He’s an easy chop. Tucker is probably more popular with his base but what got exposed from the Dominion case makes it hard to keep him.

    AJ_Liberty (5f05c3)

  28. Ouch!

    ……….
    Shares of Fox Corp. sank as much as 5.4% Monday, the most since October, after the company said Carlson had left with immediate effect. ……..

    As speculation over Carlson’s next landing spot spread, investors snapped up shares of Rumble Inc., the Peter Thiel-backed conservative video network, and Digital World Acquisition Corp., the special-purpose acquisition company merging with Trump Media. Both stocks erased declines, with Rumble stock rallying as much as 3.9%, while Digital World gained 2.2%.
    ………

    Rip Murdock (d2a2a8)

  29. CNBC Anchor Alleged NBCUniversal Boss Jeff Shell Sexually Harassed Her, Prompting His Exit

    CNBC International anchor Hadley Gamble accused former NBCUniversal Chief Executive Jeff Shell of sexual harassment and sex discrimination in a complaint to the company, a lawyer for Ms. Gamble said Monday.
    ……..
    Mr. Shell was fired for cause, and the company doesn’t intend to pay him severance, people familiar with the situation said Monday. CNBC is owned by NBCUniversal.
    ………
    Ms. Gamble is a CNBC anchor and senior international correspondent who covers energy, geopolitics, and financial markets, according to her company biography.
    ……….

    Rip Murdock (d2a2a8)

  30. If the LA Times is right (I know, it’s a big “if”), Rupert Murdoch wanted him sacked because of the deceptive way he portrayed J6, and because of the Abby Grossberg lawsuit.
    Also, the Dominion settlement and the Epps appearance on 60 Minutes coulda been factors, too. I think Epps may have a better legal shot than Dominion, given the way he’s been smeared by the Trumpist right.

    Paul Montagu (8f0dc7)

  31. Tucker’s problem isn’t that he lied about J6, it’s that he didn’t lie about Covid origins, horse whips at the border, russian laptop misinformation, Carter Page, the pee dossier, Russian bounties, Nick Sandmann, viva le resistance, biden’s inflation and economic collapse.

    With any luck, a Democrat will fill his position so we don’t won’t have any further contamination in the echo chamber.

    JF (5cc429)

  32. Contrary to popular belief, we need a center-right news channel.

    Except we don’t.

    And that’s the core of the problem. No partisan cable news channels are necessary at all– and regulation would tame that trend, a la the Fairness Doctrine, which Reagan weenies killed.

    The problem is purely corporate; the suits want increasing revenue streams- hence content is dictated by what draws the most eyeballs– and the fear has always been that very revenue enhancement sets the agenda, not the public good and need to know- as regulated broadcast news once was- a loss leader- necessary for license renewals– before news divisions became a revenue stream for network [thank you, dead Roone Aerledge.]

    The successful b/m for unregulated cable, as with FoxNews, has been the production meetings before the daily straight news programs establish the agenda for the day, then the evening opinion programs dovetail on said agenda w/reinforcing opinions as evening fare. Most cable news viewers dip in for brief periods and don’t watch all day into the night… but prime time is entertainment time– hence the opinionators are entertainers, pure and simple. And television execs know it.

    So don’t knock success. The Reagan Administration created the battlefield that is cable news today for these platforms the for gight it out by the minutes– for profits. The sole goal is leading sheep to slaughter and herding profits to the bank. There are suckers born every minute– and their eyeballs are tracked second by second, ratings point by ratings point.

    DCSCA (f57982)

  33. @23. Lest we get too giddy…

    The ‘giddiest people in the cable news universe today are Tucka’s competitors on MSNBC, CNN and Newsmax in the same time slot.

    … and Rachel Maddow smiled.

    DCSCA (f57982)

  34. “We don’t need. You and me don’t make we. Largest audience democrats/independents Next largest audience republican/independent populists. Conservative audience with whinny big mouths last. Fox can’t run on my pillow. Major advertisers don’t want to anger the largest growing segments in society minorities who soon will be the majority. Older white audience (men) growing smaller and they don’t by much in comparison and are brand loyal. You can’t sell guns on fox news.

    asset (2405ff)

  35. What did Tucker Carlson say the other day?

    https://www.huffpost.com/entry/tucker-carlson-robert-kennedy-jr_n_64410631e4b0408f3e516642

    …The right-wing Fox News host had Kennedy on his show and gushed over him as if he were a hard-line Republican.

    “If you’re an honest person, you understand this is exactly the moment in our history when we need serious adult conversations about the world around us, a world that is changing to our detriment and how we ought to respond to those changes,” Carlson effused after airing a clip of Kennedy’s opposition to U.S. policy in helping Ukraine repel the Russian invasion.

    “Bobby Kennedy would love to have those conversations,” Carlson continued. “He’s not running to get rich. He’s running to make things better. But he’s not allowed to have those conversations. He’s been censored. Other media won’t even talk to him.”

    Carlson then unspooled a montage of TV journalists pointing out Kennedy’s troubling campaign against COVID-19 vaccines.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t9eN19qkZRk

    Sammy Finkelman (1d215a)

  36. @34 Chris hayes smiled more he was opposite tucker. Thanks to supreme court ruling on abortion democrats are riled up and angry and no longer will except being a punching bag for the right. The base is more angry then the corporate establishment leadership and doesn’t trust them anymore. Base says do something and biden and democrat leadership says Huh? Who me?

    asset (2405ff)

  37. He says RFK Jr was right. It’s a half truth.

    Sammy Finkelman (02a146)

  38. Susan Rice may be leaving, it is said, because she doesn’t expect Biden to run for president. This could mean a lot of different things.

    Sammy Finkelman (1d215a)

  39. It’s A Natural Fit:

    ……..
    (The Kremlin-affiliated news outlet Russia Today (RT)), which has previously published news articles in support of Carlson, appeared to make an offer for him to appear on their network.

    “Hey @TuckerCarlson, you can always question more with @RT_com,” RT tweeted.

    Julia Davis, a journalist who frequently reports on Russian state television, responded to the offer, writing: “Almost too predictable.”

    “@TuckerCarlson regularly platformed disinformation agents and genocide deniers on topics from Syria to Ukraine. It’s only fitting an outlet like Russia Today would court him,” tweeted political scientist Sophie Fullerton.
    ……..
    Meanwhile, Carlson was also offered a role by Vladimir Solovyov, who hosts Evening With Vladimir Solovyov on Russia-1. He wrote in a Telegram post, “Tucker, come join us. You don’t have to be afraid of taking the p*** out of Biden here.”
    ……..
    Earlier in April, guests on the Russian program Meeting Place praised Carlson’s remarks about 21-year-old Jack Teixeira, who has been arrested for allegedly leaking hundreds of sensitive U.S. documents online related to plans for Ukraine. Carlson described him as a “whistle-blower,” drawing support from Putin propagandists.

    In September, for instance, Russian state TV used clips of Carlson to promote the war against Ukraine amid growing dissent after Putin announced a partial mobilization of troops. Footage aired in Russia showed Carlson saying “happy anniversary” to the war while saying it would be impossible for Ukraine to defeat Russia.
    ………

    Rip Murdock (d2a2a8)

  40. Susan Rice may be leaving, it is said, because she doesn’t expect Biden to run for president. This could mean a lot of different things.

    Sammy Finkelman (1d215a) — 4/24/2023 @ 1:30 pm

    I guess she will find out this week.

    Rip Murdock (d2a2a8)

  41. Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 4/24/2023 @ 1:30 pm

    More from Vladimir Solovyov:

    “You have our admiration and support in any endeavor you choose for yourself next, be it running for president of the United States (which you probably should totally do, by the way) or making an independent media project,” Solovyov said (on Telegram). “We’ll happily offer you a job if you wish to carry on as a presenter and host!”

    Rip Murdock (d2a2a8)

  42. https://www.newser.com/story/334405/carlsons-comments-about-bosses-may-have-sunk-him.html

    By Rob Quinn, Newser Staff
    Posted Apr 24, 2023 1:33 PM CDT

    …. it appears to have happened abruptly. Hours before the announcement, Fox was still previewing Carlson’s Monday night show, in which he was set to interview GOP candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, the Guardian reports. Journalist Yashar Ali tweeted that according to staff and presenters, there was “total and complete shock” at Fox after the announcement. “Everyone outside of top executives, including Tucker’s staff, found out about his exit on Twitter,” Ali said. In Carlson’s final show on Friday, he said he would be back on Monday….

    … An insider tells the Washington Post that Carlson’s comments about Fox management in private messages disclosed as part of the lawsuit played a big role in his departure.

    Murdoch may have made the call himself. Mediaite reports that a Fox News insider says Fox Corporation chairman Rupert Murdoch decided to ditch the network’s top-rated primetime host. “Rupert is 92. He just called off a weeks-long engagement and settled for 800 mil so he wouldn’t have to go to Delaware,” the source says. “He just makes rash decisions.”

    Also in the Newser article:

    Newsmax urged viewers to switch. Fox stock dropped – more than it did after the Dominion settlement (but these kinds of things only represent a minority opinion – and it can indicate a great deal of upheaval.

    Sammy Finkelman (1d215a)

  43. DCSCA:

    No partisan cable news channels are necessary at all– and regulation would tame that trend, a la the Fairness Doctrine, which Reagan weenies killed.

    You trust the castle you want to storm? Would seem that the first order of business of any Fairness Doctrine regulator would be to keep the populists off the air.

    Appalled (4b3cda)

  44. @35. Major advertisers don’t want to anger the largest growing segments in society minorities who soon will be the majority.

    It’s all- and only- about revenue; eyeballs and clicks to peddle top dollar ad space to those advertisers to move product, goods and services. If verbal pie fights and blonde teleprompter readers w/leg lights and lip gloss draw more long term eyeballs than naked weather girls, you get leg-lit airhead blondes and custards pies flung from screen left and screen right. It’s all about eyeballs, ratings– and chasing profits, second by second. Revenue defines content and content draws ratings. Love the ability of television to herd Tucker suckers and sell wars, soap, politicians, pillows, plagiarists and phonies and turn a profit on all w/o blinking a ‘CBS’ eye…

    “You’re television incarnate, Diana: Indifferent to suffering; insensitive to joy. All of life is reduced to the common rubble of banality. War, murder, death are all the same to you as bottles of beer. And the daily business of life is a corrupt comedy. You even shatter the sensations of time and space into split seconds and instant replays. You’re madness, Diana. Virulent madness.” – Max Schumacher [William Holden] ‘Network’ 1976

    DCSCA (ef89bd)

  45. “Contrary to popular belief, we need a center-right news channel.”

    Fox had the right idea about trying to be fair and balanced. Hannity was balanced by Colmes. Megyn Kelly had guests on both sides of issues. Shep Smith leaned a bit left in his presentation. It covered stories that weren’t given much time on CNN or any time on MSNBC. A transformation began during Obama’s terms which also corresponded to the proliferation of social media….and a more partisan bent. Things got extreme with Trump because of his unorthodox style and apparent knowledge gap. Entertainers did not just lean right, but were actively involved in protecting and promoting Trump as the party made a decision to not try and stop him. Hannity went to rallies; Ingraham spoke at the convention. It wasn’t balanced and it probably wasn’t a fair depiction of reality. Fox doesn’t need liberal hosts; it needs some balance and some distance with GOP politicians so it can be critical when necessary.

    AJ_Liberty (5f05c3)

  46. @44. Would seem that the first order of business of any Fairness Doctrine regulator would be to keep the populists off the air.

    That’s contradictive to the very basics of a ‘fairness doctrine.’

    DCSCA (ef89bd)

  47. @46. Your obsession w/personalities on air speaks volumes… and reaffirms Diana Christensen’s observation:

    “I watched your 6 o’clock news today; it’s straight tabloid. You had a minute and a half of that lady riding a bike naked in Central Park; on the other hand, you had less than a minute of hard national and international news. It was all sex, scandal, brutal crime, sports, children with incurable diseases, and lost puppies. So, I don’t think I’ll listen to any protestations of high standards of journalism when you’re right down on the streets soliciting audiences like the rest of us. Look, all I’m saying is if you’re going to hustle, at least do it right.” – Diana Christensen [Faye Dunaway] ‘Network’ 1976

    DCSCA (ef89bd)

  48. “I think Epps may have a better legal shot than Dominion, given the way he’s been smeared by the Trumpist right.”

    How has he been smeared, what has been said about Epps and his activities in early January ‘21 that hasn’t been backed up with audio and video?

    Colonel Haiku (162c5f)

  49. Sometimes Tucker Carlson says something that is true

    Here at 4 min he says Merrick Garland lied;

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HPg9N_HiLMg

    In the same video he makes what is probably a genuine mistake – that a tech executive was killed randomly.

    Sammy Finkelman (1d215a)

  50. 41. Maybe Susan Rice wants the Democratic vice presidential nomination herself (and she couldn’t put herself up if she was still in government next year)

    One idea was that Joe Biden really wanted Susan Rice in 2020, but was convinced he couldn’t name her.

    But I don’t know about any of this.

    Sammy Finkelman (1d215a)

  51. Tucker could go to MSNBC and be a hard-left commentator. It’s not like it would offend his principles.

    Kevin M (f94f4f)

  52. Tucker could go to MSNBC and be a hard-left commentator. It’s not like it would offend his principles.

    Kevin M (f94f4f) — 4/24/2023 @ 2:23 pm

    RT is a better fit. They want him.

    Rip Murdock (d2a2a8)

  53. DCSCA,

    You know what the Fairness Doctrine did — it made it such a pain in the Kiester to editorialize on air that nobody did so. Except that there was inherent institutional bias in reporting that tilted towards the sort of limousine liberals I would think would be anathema to you.

    Besides the Fairness Doctrine is far easier to enforce in 1964 with three networks than in 2023 with tons and tons of network. Bring on the deep state enforcers…

    Appalled (01de28)

  54. Here’s an excerpt from pages 166-173 of “They Thought They Were Free: The Germans, 1933-45”. They interviewed ten Germans who described what it was like during the transition from normal to the crazy Nazi nightmare… how it happened and how so many Germans went along with it.

    https://youtu.be/qxZfSlkC_wo

    Colonel Haiku (162c5f)

  55. @55. No it didn’t. And enforcement is SOP w/license renewal crtieria. It’s really up to how the FCC is staffed- but like SCOTUS, Congress, the DOJ and every other institution, it has been eroded and wrecked from within…

    ___________________

    Memo to Tucka:

    “Suppose I tell you exactly what’s gonna happen to you. You’re gonna be back in television. Only it won’t be quite the same as it was before. There’ll be a reasonable cooling-off period and then somebody will say: “Why don’t we try him again in a inexpensive format. People’s memories aren’t too long.” And you know, in a way, he’ll be right. Some of the people will forget, and some of them won’t. Oh, you’ll have a show. Maybe not the best hour or, you know, top 10. Maybe not even in the top 35. But you’ll have a show. It just won’t be quite the same as it was before. Then a couple of new fellas will come along. And pretty soon, a lot of your fans will be flocking around them. And then one day, somebody’ll ask: “Whatever happened to, a, whatshisname? You know, the one who was so big. The number-one fella a couple of years ago. He was famous. How can we forget a name like that? Oh by the way, have you seen, a, Barry Mills? I think he’s the greatest thing since Will Rogers.” – Mel Miller [Walter Matthau] ‘A Face In The Crowd’ 1957

    DCSCA (ef89bd)

  56. Susan Rice may be leaving, it is said, because she doesn’t expect Biden to run for president.

    That would be a bombshell. RFK Jr hardest hit.

    Kevin M (f94f4f)

  57. I don’t think that is the explanation. More likely, that she wants to be eligible for VP. But that doesn’t sound too likely to me either.

    Sammy Finkelman (1d215a)

  58. Susan Rice may be leaving, it is said, because she doesn’t expect Biden to run for president.

    Not running?? If only. America hasn’t been that lucky since Alexander Butterfield spilled the beans about the Big Dick’s tapes in July, 1973. 😉

    DCSCA (ef89bd)

  59. Bud Light:
    We made a dumb move and lost millions of customers and billions in revenue.

    Fox News:
    Hold my Beer.

    Colonel Haiku (162c5f)

  60. Absolutely nothing Haiku. That’s why you won’t get a response.

    It’s gaslighting on a truly epic scale.

    NJRob (eacb83)

  61. I know it, Rob. One must give the ranters an opportunity to be specific.

    Colonel Haiku (162c5f)

  62. @61. ROFLMAO.

    My guess for Tucka’s eventually Fox replacement; promote from within…

    O’Reilly protege:

    Jesse Watters.

    DCSCA (ef89bd)

  63. TrumpWorld Sad!

    ……….
    Donald Trump’s spokesperson met the news on Twitter with a semi-conspiratorial take that Fox News is now a beholden part of the establishment. “Fox News is controlled opposition,” she wrote. “What is happening at Fox?” added Eric Trump, noting that the network has also recently dropped his wife Lara and right-wing commentator Dan Bongino. Donald Trump Jr. told Charlie Kirk that Carlson no longer being on the network “changes things permanently,” as he was “an actual thought-leader in conservatism.”
    ……….
    Michael Flynn Jr., MAGA-minded son of the infamous former general and Trump adviser, took to Telegram to call for a commentary boycott on Fox News moving forward: “I don’t want to see any more America First conservatives appear on @FoxNews anymore,” he wrote. “You ARE NOT AMERICA FIRST if you give that network ANY of your time!”

    The Telegram channel “J6 Patriot News” also weighed in, decrying the weakness of the Murdoch family in choosing to remove Carlson: “FOX FIRES TUCKER. END OF AN ERA. The Murdoch’s fear words of Truth.”
    ……….
    In a popular post on Truth Social, right-wing country star Travis Tritt connected the Fox News fallout to the recent Bud Light-Dylan Mulvaney controversy, writing: Obviously, Fox News doesn’t know their customer base any better than Anheuser Busch knows theirs.” Jack Posobiec, the alt-right commentator and onetime “pizzagate” conspiracy theorist, picked up a similar theme, asking on Telegram: “How long before Dylan Mulvaney is announced as Tucker’s replacement?” Poso also posted that it was time for Tucker to move from commentary directly into politics, writing: “Trump / Carlson 2024.”
    ………

    Related:

    Fox News Fires The Only Reason People Watch Fox News

    I am awaiting calls from the House Republican Freedom Caucus for investigations into the firing.

    Rip Murdock (d2a2a8)

  64. What Bud Light has to do with Fox News is beyond me.

    Dana (560c99)

  65. Tucker could go to MSNBC and be a hard-left commentator. It’s not like it would offend his principles.

    Not likely; Tucka was fired from MSNBC.

    DCSCA (8b1c57)

  66. “Bud Light:
    We made a dumb move and lost millions of customers and billions in revenue.”

    No they didn’t.

    Davethulhu (fe2f72)

  67. What Bud Light has to do with Fox News is beyond me.

    It’s advanced Whaddaboutism. Upper division course.

    Kevin M (f94f4f)

  68. I’m waiting for Tucker to face charges as an unregistered foreign agent.

    Kevin M (f94f4f)

  69. Bringing back Megyn, Van Sustern and Shepard Smith would be a good move towards rationality.

    Kevin M (f94f4f) — 4/24/2023 @ 11:04 am

    Not likely.

    Megan Kelly: Megyn Kelly: Fox News ousting Tucker Carlson ‘terrible move’. Those who can’t go to exile at SiriusXM.

    Greta Van Sustern: Works for Newsmax.

    Shepard Smith: Fox doesn’t need another newsreader.

    Rip Murdock (d2a2a8)

  70. It’s advanced Whaddaboutism. Upper division course.

    Yeah, I figured it was nonsense.

    Dana (560c99)

  71. Tucker’s problem isn’t that he lied about J6, it’s that he didn’t lie about Covid origins, horse whips at the border, russian laptop misinformation, Carter Page, the pee dossier, Russian bounties, Nick Sandmann, viva le resistance, biden’s inflation and economic collapse.

    JF (5cc429) — 4/24/2023 @ 12:55 pm

    Let’s excuse lying about J6, because of other lies?

    Why not call BS on both sides, JF?

    norcal (15fce4)

  72. @69. New Coke.

    Bad short term decisions costs in the long run. Thing is, from a media perspective, Carlson will always have the last word– and the next word– as all they did was remove him from a platform. Because he’s no Don Lemon, who was wandering blindly through a career-ending minefield for six months. Tucka was on top of the numbers game at Fox… so he’ll be hired by another platform for sure— depending on the terms of the ‘separation.’

    DCSCA (c35512)

  73. Perhaps THE stupidest and most hilarious comments on Tucka’s departure came from stovepiper, paywall echochamered Jonah Goldberg on CNN w/ Erin Burnett. If ever a pot called the kettle black with hilariously ironic and unaware ignorance, t’was the wailing Jonah himself.

    DCSCA (c35512)

  74. Life imitates art; the lead stories on the cable newsies CNN & MSNBC tonight– not the bloodshed in Sudan, nor the Susan Rice resignation… not even Ukraine nor the impending Biden run announcement…

    but Tucka…

    “…the Arabs have decided to jack up the price of oil another 20%… uh, the CIA has been caught opening Senator Humphrey’s mail… there’s a civil war in Angola… another one in Beirut… the, uh, New York City’s still facing default… they finally caught up with Patricia Hearst… and the whole front page of the “Daily News” is Howard Beale.” – Diana Christensen [Faye Dunaway] ‘Network’ 1976

    … and Paddy Chayefsky smiled.

    DCSCA (c35512)

  75. @37. Chris hayes smiled more he was opposite tucker.

    Not lately: Chris Hayes quit MSNBC.

    Chris Hayes has not revealed any information regarding quitting MSNBC.

    https://geniuscelebs.com/where-is-chris-hayes-going-after-leaving-msnbc/

    DCSCA (c35512)

  76. “It’s not your father’s Oldsmobile. Wouldn’t you really rather have a Buick?”

    The Murdochs discontinued a product on their line of merchandise. For reasons sufficient to them. That’s all that happened.

    nk (bb1548)

  77. “What Bud Light has to do with Fox News is beyond me.”

    Both moves filed in the “what will prove to be idiotic corporate moves” file.

    Both of them. Hope that helps.

    Colonel Haiku (eadc48)

  78. The next Criswell?

    “I said this would happen. Hannity may be next.”

    Colonel Haiku (eadc48)

  79. @80. Bidenesque. 😉

    DCSCA (279944)

  80. I wonder if Fox had to pay Carlson to leave

    steveg (d5f84e)

  81. @82. Sure; he had a contract to buy out [number bouncing around is $20 million] and was in negotiations for renewal… unless he violated a specific clause… but no mention of that… yet. But given his ratings numbers at Fox i’t s good bet onew of tghe other platforms will hire him depending on the stipulations in the ‘separation’ agreement. It’s the Don Lemon career that blew up today… You see, he’s ‘past his prime.’ 😉

    DCSCA (1f47e2)

  82. Shepard Smith: Fox doesn’t need another newsreader.

    They have one now? Who knew?

    Kevin M (f94f4f)

  83. New Coke

    “New Coke” was a swindle. Old Coke had sugar, “Classic Coke” had HFCS. If they’d just switched, there would be such an outcry. But they would make so much more money not paying the sugar duties that they had to switch it in the US. So “New Coke”, designed mostly to make people forget what Coke tasted like, and when failed did not only did they have Classic Coke with HFCS, everyone thanked them for it.

    The best Swindle since Reagan announced Star Wars, and broke the Soviet economy as they tried to keep up with the impossible.

    Kevin M (f94f4f)

  84. I wonder if Fox had to pay Carlson to leave

    Probably nothing, and Carlson will be making lots more next week. Don Lemon not so much.

    Kevin M (f94f4f)

  85. Tucker’s suckers will follow him to wherever he lands.

    norcal (15fce4)

  86. @87. Probably nothing… Criswell predicts!

    Yet possibly something, says Forbes:

    Ousted CNN anchor Don Lemon and Fox News host Tucker Carlson have both reportedly tapped high-powered entertainment lawyer Bryan Freedman to represent them following their sudden departures Monday, turning to an attorney known for aggressively representing A-list clients in a sign the two polarizing figures might pursue legal action against their old networks—or push the companies to pay up.

    Freedman, based out of Los Angeles, boasts a list of clients like former Bachelor host Chris Harrison, film director Quentin Tarantino and actress Gabrielle Union, while his law firm’s website refers to him as “the go to lawyer in crisis litigation.”

    Freedman has dealt with messy news separations before—he represented Megyn Kelly after NBC fired her in 2019, reaching an agreement with the network to pay her contract in full despite an early termination, securing Kelly roughly $30 million.

    Fox News intends to pay out the entirety of Carlson’s contract, which was renewed in 2021 for about $20 million per year, according to the Wall Street Journal, though it’s unclear when the deal expires.

    https://www.forbes.com/sites/nicholasreimann/2023/04/24/who-is-bryan-freedman-don-lemon-and-tucker-carlson-hire-same-lawyer-after-ousters/?sh=21a216cc43fd

    DCSCA (f7b16a)

  87. @88. Tucker’s suckers will follow him to wherever he lands.

    As will the ratings points- and the ad revenue their eyeballs and clicks generate- for the lucky media platform that picks up the ball and cashes in on the Fox Fumble.

    DCSCA (f7b16a)

  88. The best Swindle since Reagan announced Star Wars, and broke the Soviet economy as they tried to keep up with the impossible.

    Indeed, Reqaganomics was quite the swindle:

    During Reagan’s presidency, the federal debt held by the public nearly tripled in nominal terms, from $738 billion to $2.1 trillion. This led to the U.S. moving from the world’s largest international creditor to the world’s largest debtor nation. – source, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reaganomics

    … and Jinping grinned.

    DCSCA (f7b16a)

  89. @91 I pointed this out in earlier in a post about Reagans iran hostage treason. Another poster while admitting the federal debt went up ;but because GNP went up from the wild spending it didn’t count! As for tucker major sponsors will shy away because they want everyone to love them not hate them. Luck what happened to budwiser when they didn’t heed this in marketing. How many my pillows can he sell if the my pillow guy can advertise after forking over 5 million for election lies and other lawsuits pending.

    asset (6a2bfe)

  90. Somewhat on topic because this is about the fate of obnoxious fascists with a following:

    https://www.ajc.com/politics/trump-probe-da-urges-law-enforcement-to-prep-for-indictments-this-summer/56OGCLMNOVGPXMJ6YXDPXQOSWY/

    We now have a schedule for Georgia 2020 election fraud indictments. (It’s later than you think)

    Appalled (a9f36d)

  91. @91: And for that increased debt, we got:

    The end of the Cold War and the Soviet Union, a massive economic expansion at home and abroad (aka “prosperity”), and a new global trade structure based on capitalism.

    That last part wore a bit thin, of course. But what did we get from the nearly $10 billion that Obama added?

    Kevin M (f94f4f)

  92. This is Tucker Carlson’s third firing by a network:

    CNN (2000–2005)

    MSNBC (2005–2008)

    Fox News Channel (2009–2023)

    Bonus: He has two middle names, Swanson and McNear. And you have to wonder whether his parents loved him, considering they gave him that first name, which has so many possibilities, including the obvious obscene one.

    Jim Miller (0e46f9)

  93. #94 Kevin – You may want to revise and extend your remarks.

    Jim Miller (0e46f9)

  94. RIP Harry Belafonte (96).

    Rip Murdock (e6a4f2)

  95. Biden ends his full re-election campaign video by saying he can “finish the job.”

    That appears to be a threat.

    Colonel Haiku (415915)

  96. Are things getting more weird?

    Or are they just getting more and more obvious?

    Perhaps it’s time to embrace the power of “and”.

    Colonel Haiku (415915)

  97. But what did we get from the nearly $10 billion that Obama added?

    Kevin M (f94f4f) — 4/25/2023 @ 5:53 am

    $10B? That’s a rounding error. President Obama added approx. $8.6T during his two terms. Or the $6.7T added by President Trump?

    Rip Murdock (d2a2a8)

  98. Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 4/25/2023 @ 9:31 am

    Let he who is without sin cast the first stone.

    Rip Murdock (d2a2a8)

  99. I would like to think, though, that the arrest by the Russians of WSJ journalist Evan Gershkovitz played some part, even if only a small one, in the Murdochs’ decision.

    nk (62cf52)

  100. Hysterical Putin Pals Claim the Deep State Took Out Tucker Carlson
    ………..
    During Monday’s broadcast of The Evening With Vladimir Solovyov, state TV propagandists discussed the best ways for Russia to attack America on its own turf, citing internal divisions and conflicts as an opening that should be continually probed and exploited. This conversation naturally led to Russia’s favorite U.S. TV host, Tucker Carlson, whose contribution to deepening divisions and undermining faith in American institutions has been of unparalleled value to the Kremlin.

    Americanist Dmitry Drobnitsky gasped: “Our beloved Tucker Carlson has been fired, it’s a disgrace!” Host Vladimir Solovyov chimed in: “It’s a total outrage!”

    Solovyov jumped in to claim there is something fishy about Carlson being fired one day before U.S. President Joe Biden was to announce his plan to run for re-election. ……..
    ………
    During his evening show, Solovyov proclaimed: “Freedom to Tucker Carlson!” Drobnitsky noted that the American host is not in prison, but Solovyov worried out loud that this might be exactly what’s coming next: “They’ll throw him in prison, wait and see.”

    Drobnitsky and Solovyov jointly pondered what Russia should do in response, proposing that Russia, China and Saudi Arabia impose sanctions against all persons responsible for Carlson’s sudden dismissal. ……..

    On Tuesday morning, co-host of 60 Minutes Olga Skabeeva said she had some “sad news” to report: “Fox News terminated their contract with one of the most prominent TV hosts in their history, our favorite, Tucker Carlson……..
    ……….
    Carlson’s coverage of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is seen in such favorable light that in discussing various ways of killing scores of Americans, state media propagandist Dmitry Drobnitsky noted: “In our country, we embraced one American we wouldn’t want to kill: that would be Tucker Carlson.”
    ……….

    Change the names of the Russian commenters to Lauren Boebert, Eric or Donald Trump, Jr., Kari Lake, or Glenn Greenwald and the comments still fit right in.

    Rip Murdock (d2a2a8)

  101. $10B? That’s a rounding error. President Obama added approx. $8.6T during his two terms.

    If you go from 2009 to 2017, yes, but 3/4ths of the 2009 debt increase occurred on Obama’s watch, and 3/4th of the 2017 debt bump occurred on Trumps.

    If instead you go from the 2008 to 2016 figures, you get about $9.55 billion, which does round to $10 billion.

    Kevin M (f94f4f)

  102. Link to debt by year table

    Kevin M (f94f4f)

  103. He has two middle names, Swanson and McNear

    Tucka in in your blood: you likely have one of those names he is heir to, on multiple products in your freezer or pantry. 😉

    DCSCA (0a218d)

  104. @94. And for that increased debt, we got:… economically wrecked w/ Arab enemies and perpetual wars.

    … as Cold War Putin smiled… and lender Xi grinned.

    DCSCA (0a218d)

  105. @101. Let he who is without sin cast the first stone.

    Plagiarism is ‘in’ these days. 😉

    … and Squinty drooled.

    DCSCA (0a218d)

  106. OT: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3GP2MDgI7ic

    OMG. Nobody wearing mandatory Covid masks; nobody getting pricked w/mandatory vaccine shots; no visuals of U.S. troops coming home… no rooftop chopper evacuation retreats… no watch checking at Dover by caskets; no tripping the light fantastic up a flight of stairs…

    He’s 80, in competent; incontinent and with one foot in the grave… From Joe’s mouth to God’s ears: “Let’s finish the job…”

    DCSCA (0a218d)

  107. Tuckert Borscht Boy is a real loss to Putin. A propagandist who can propagandize in a competitive market as opposed to only on Russian state media.

    nk (62cf52)

  108. Private Japanese spacecraft apparently fails on historic moon landing try

    ……..
    The robotic Hakuto-R, operated by Tokyo-based company ispace, aimed to become the first private spacecraft, and the first Japanese-built vehicle, ever to land softly on the moon.

    That doesn’t seem to have happened, however: ispace lost touch with Hakuto-R just as it was scheduled to settle softly onto the gray dirt today at 12:40 p.m. EDT (1640 GMT).

    “So, we have to assume that we could not complete the landing on the lunar surface,” ispace founder and CEO Takeshi Hakamada said during a webcast of today’s historic attempt. The company will continue trying to contact the lander and determine what happened, he added.

    If today’s try did indeed fail, government-built probes from the United States, the Soviet Union/Russia and China will remain the only robotic explorers to have touched down successfully on Earth’s nearest neighbor.
    ………

    Rip Murdock (d2a2a8)

  109. @111. Spaceflight is hard.

    DCSCA (56c896)

  110. @94 reagan traded gorbychav for putin good trade?

    asset (6acb68)

  111. Told you Haiku. Not a peep.

    NJRob (eacb83)

  112. @94 Reagan also gave us Iran/contra drug dealing treason and drug cartel control of central america we have been enjoying at our southern border for many years. Nicuragua was able to fight reagan off and the refugee problem from their is minimal as the Ortega brothers “deal” with their drug gangs.

    asset (6acb68)

  113. If you’re expecting good faith, you’re barking up the wrong tree, Rob.

    Colonel Haiku (415915)

  114. @asset.

    Iran-Contra was many things, including illegal, but it wasn’t treason. Not by any definition, legal, colloquial or otherwise. When you abuse a term like that, just like when Rob calls NeverTrump conservatives leftists, you’re semantically crying wolf. When a real treason (or leftist) comes along, there’s no good word to describe it, because you stripped the one we used to have of all meaning.

    lurker (cd7cd4)

  115. @113. Reaganomics. 😉

    DCSCA (6efdd8)

  116. Tucker Carlson Fans Respond to Fox News’ First Replacement Host: ‘Nope’

    Agitated fans of former Fox News host Tucker Carlson are rejecting the network’s first attempt at a replacement host. Long-serving Fox News personality Brian Kilmeade anchored the new show Fox News Tonight in Carlson’s former 8 p.m. time slot on Monday, only hours after the network unexpectedly announced that it had decided to “part ways” with Carlson.

    In a tweet shortly before the show was set to air on Monday, Kilmeade urged viewers to “join [him] at 8 p.m.,” triggering a firestorm of negative responses from Carlson fans who promised they would not be watching…

    https://www.newsweek.com/tucker-carlson-fans-respond-fox-news-first-replacement-host-nope-1796413

    Fox News Wins Prime Time Ratings On First Night Without Tucker Carlson

    Fox News Channel coasted to an easy win in prime time Monday night, delivering an average total audience of 2.351 million viewers on the first night without Tucker Carlson in its nightly lineup. Hours after the network announced it had parted ways with the host of Tucker Carlson Tonight, the network aired Fox News Tonight in Carlson’s 8 p.m. timeslot and the fill-in show won the hour with 2.597 million viewers.

    https://www.forbes.com/sites/markjoyella/2023/04/25/fox-news-wins-prime-time-ratings-on-first-night-without-tucker-carlson/?sh=28f8fd9c313c

    Fox News Takes Ratings Hit After Tucker Carlson’s Exit

    Though it still handily led the 8 p.m. hour, the cable outlet’s viewers fell off by a sizable amount Monday.

    Unsurprisingly, Fox News ratings suffered Monday night without the channel’s most watched host.

    After the surprise of Fox News and Tucker Carlson “agree[ing] to part ways” on Monday, the network’s 8 p.m. hour had a significantly smaller audience Monday night. The debut of Fox News Tonight, hosted by Brian Kilmeade (the first in a series of rotating hosts), pulled in just under 2.6 million viewers — about 21 percent below the average for Tucker Carlson Tonight (3.3 million viewers) over the past eight Mondays.

    Fox News Tonight also took a hit in the key news demographic of adults 25-54: Its 0.24 rating was 37 percent lower than the 0.38 Carlson averaged over the prior eight Monday shows.

    Those figures were still more than enough to lead the 8 p.m. hour on cable news by a sizable margin. A Joe Scarborough Presents special on MSNBC came in at 1.51 million viewers, while Anderson Cooper 360 drew 728,000 people to CNN.

    [OMG… only 728,000 viewers for AC360??? The Vanderbilt heir is paid $12 million a year and pulls such sh!t numbers??? Wake up CNN stockholders.]

    On the plus side for Fox News, its 9 p.m. show, Hannity, didn’t suffer any with the smaller lead-in. It drew 2.53 million viewers, on par with its Monday average (2.59 million) over the past two months — though it trailed MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow Show (2.73 million). The Ingraham Angle (1.92 million) was a bit below its recent Monday average of 2.04 million at 10 p.m., but only by about 6 percent.

    On the other hand, Newsmax — which was openly making a play for Fox News viewers in the wake of Carlson’s exit Monday — saw its audience jump in primetime. Eric Bolling the Balance (531,000 viewers) at 8 p.m. and Greg Kelly Reports (540,000) at 9 p.m. both had more than triple their average audience from the first quarter of the year (145,000 for Bolling and 141,000 for Kelly)…

    https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/fox-news-takes-ratings-hit-after-tucker-carlsons-exit-1235400150/

    DCSCA (0cc318)

  117. @117 when john connally went to the middle east to let Iran know they would get a better deal (just like anna chenault did for tricky dick nixon with South vietnam in 1968) so that bill casey met with go betweens in madrid They forgot to get rid off the ambassador’s cable ;but hid it from congressional investigators. If that isn’t treason what is?

    asset (b7e22e)

  118. Iran-Contra was not treason. Get over it.

    lurker (cd7cd4)


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