(Robert Jonathan, Headline USA) As the most influential political commentator in America, former Fox News host Tucker Carlson has a lot of options in the media space as a free agent.
Already broadcasting remotely from his own studios in Maine and Florida, and once any non-compete agreements expire, Carlson could launch an independent channel or join another existing news organization. Or go in a different direction.
OANN and Blaze TV immediately made overtures to Carlson, who was fired by Fox News on Monday, for whatever reason, in what will likely prove to be one of the more impactful blunders in media history.
Another option, a more mainstream one, may be on the table, although after stints at CNN, PBS, MSNBC and FNC, Carlson may be done with corporate media venues.
According to Hollywood gossip site TMZ, which generally has access to inside sources when it comes to celebrities, the struggling NewsNation cable channel may be contemplating adding Carlson, as well as fired ex-CNN anchor Don Lemon, to their on-camera lineup because “they both could bring in big swaths of a diverse audience on both the right and the left.”
Per the report, “Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ…the television network…is interested in potentially hiring DL and TC and adding them to their growing roster of high-profile anchors…We’re told the announcements of their oustings Monday came at a perfect time for NewsNation — which just started running 24-hour programming starting this week.”
TMZ added that “we’re told NewsNation is serious about this — and that their executive team flew to NYC Monday to discuss this internally. So, it sounds like they might just pursue this plan — as they clearly feel it could work out.”
TMZ also claimed that NewsNation execs are of the opinion that they can manage the “baggage” that Carlson and Lemon would bring to their channel. This is a fast-moving situation, with probably more revelations and questionable scoops to come.
NewsNation is basically a liberal network that positions itself as presenting nonpartisan journalism. Launched in 2020, the channel is definitely ratings-challenged and thus “the fact both of these guys are huge, recognizable names in the news game is appealing to NewsNation honchos,” TMZ insisted.
“According to Nielsen, NewsNation averaged 96,000 total viewers in primetime in March, ranking 71st among all cable networks. That is far less than the lowest-rated major cable news network, CNN, which averaged 473,000,” Deadline Hollywood reported earlier this month.
The cable startup features an array of leftist anchors.
This includes Lemon’s former CNN colleague Chris Cuomo, Elizabeth Vargas formerly of ABC News, and entrepreneur Dan Abrams, who still works for ABC as well as hosting On Patrol: Live (the successor show to ratings-powerhouse Live PD, which got cancelled in the aftermath of the George Floyd murder).
Ironically perhaps if the NewsNation initiative ever comes to pass, Carlson regularly ridiculed both Lemon and Cuomo on his Fox show.
In another form of irony, both newly-fired hosts have reportedly retained the same high-powered entertainment lawyer “to navigate their exits,” according to the New York Times.
Attorney Bryan Freedman also represents Cuomo, who is still wrangling with CNN over a big-money severance package. The same barrister reportedly enabled Megyn Kelly to walk away from NBC with a full contract payout.
The Wall Street Journal reported that Fox was paying Carlson approximately $20 million annually, and he is also leaving with the balance due on this current contract.
“Mr. Carlson found out he was being let go about 10 minutes before the network announced his departure,” WSJ reported, citing unnamed insiders.
The conservative channel has already lost market share and a massive amount of stock value as a result of the departure of the populist pundit from the top-rated Tucker Carlson Tonight program, which, in the interim, is being replaced by Fox News Tonight.
Many theories are being advanced as to why Fox let Tucker Carlson go.
It could be that his opposition to the Big Pharma narrative, the January 6 narrative, and/or the Ukraine war narrative apparently made the globalists who seem to be on the ascendancy within the Murdoch-owned channel nervous.
Some sources claimed that all this went down while Carlson was actually negotiating a contact extension.
There is also speculation that existing contract terms, since he is taking the Fox cash, prevent Carlson from launching a new venture until well into 2024. It’s also very likely that a non-disclosure clause is in the mix.
Whether a contract provision precludes any appearances on other platforms as a guest to discuss political issues is another matter.
In addition, it’s hardly unusual for revisionist history to emerge between employer and employee in a separation scenario in any industry.
According to the far-left Rolling Stone magazine, however, things could get ugly in this particular situation.
“Fox News executives have in their possession a dossier of alleged dirt on Tucker Carlson should he attack the network in the wake of his departure, eight sources at and close to the network tell Rolling Stone.”
