It's over between Tucker Carlson and Fox News. Fox News said on Monday that it has agreed to part ways with Carlson, who reigned over the network for nearly a decade. In a shock announcement on Monday, Fox News announced it has parted ways with the anchor, saying that his final show was aired on April 21.
The announcement comes just days after the network settled a Dominion Voting Systems' defamation lawsuit for $787.5 million. However, not many had predicted that the settlement of the lawsuit will also bring an end to Carlson's reign at Fox News. The channel has major plans after Carson's exit which will be announced shortly.
End of the Show
Fox News made the shocking announcement of severing ties with Carlson but shared the news humbly. "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," the network statement read.
The company noted that "Fox News Tonight" will replace Carlson's show and air live on an interim basis, till a permanent replacement is chosen.
Carlson's departure comes only days after Fox reached a settlement with Dominion Voting Systems, which had sued for defamation on the grounds that broadcasters like Tucker Carlson had pushed President Trump's false claims of election fraud in order to boost ratings.
At the eleventh hour, Dominion resolved a $1.6 billion lawsuit for $787 million, narrowly avoiding a humiliating and widely publicized trial where Carlson and other hosts would have undoubtedly been called as witnesses.
Parting on a Bitter Note
Carlson's show, 'Tucker Carlson Tonight', was one of the most watched shows of Fox's nightly line-up, attracting around 3.5 million viewers every night. However, a string of recent scandals, including the Dominion allegations and Carlson's personal remarks regarding the events of January 6, got him into more trouble than even he was used to.
The length of his contract and whether Fox will provide severance pay are both unknown.
His salary was said to be $10 million per year according to a 2020 report by CNN's Brian Stelter. In 2010, Carlson founded the right-leaning news website The Daily Caller.
He sold his ownership in the company in 2020, three years after helming with his own show at Fox, where he had previously contributed for several years.
However, things will now look completely different at Fox News, as Carlson's departure might also divide the audience.
