Tucker Carlson was fired–and make no mistake about it: he was fired; he didn’t “part ways” with his former employer despite the official statement–ostensibly because of a lawsuit alleging systemic sexism and misogyny brought by a former show producer. Apparently, Rupert Murdoch was shocked–shocked! he says–that such grotesque behavior was happening at the Fox cable network’s offices. Except claims of racism, misogyny and hatred have long been coming from Carlson’s offices: in 2020, in 2019, for example.
Be clear: Carlson was fired because he was a liability to the network and Murdoch’s fortune on many levels. His text messages–in which he disparaged the Fox audience and admitted the election fraud claims he was broadcasting were bogus–were not just a legal liability but a public relations nightmare. Carlson’s vocal support of white nationalists, Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, and vile anti-immigrant stereotypes were bringing eyeballs to the network, but they weren’t bringing in ad dollars, And worse: they were also adding to what insurance agents and lawyers call the network’s “exposure.”
The lawsuit by former producer Abby Grossberg gave Murdoch a convenient excuse to fire Carlson while allowing Murdoch to look like a decent human being, an unusual thing for him. Carlson was fired, Murdoch can say, because of his poor behavior. But Carlson has been an embarrassment to Fox Corp for a while. In a different defamation case, from 2020, Fox lawyers argued that the self-proclaimed news network’s top-rated host literally could not be believed. The “‘general tenor’ of the show should then inform a viewer that [Carlson] is not ‘stating actual facts’ about the topics he discusses and is instead engaging in ‘exaggeration’ and ‘non-literal commentary,'” Trump-appointed Federal Judge Mary Kay Vyskocil wrote in her opinion in favor of Fox. (Vyskocil recently made the news again, ordering former Manhattan prosecutor Mark Pomerantz to testify before Jim Jordan’s traveling roadshow and bullshit emporium attempting to impede District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s investigation into Donald Trump.)
Carlson made his stay at Fox even less viable by airing his widely-mocked version of what the Capitol security tapes–gifted to him to House Speaker pro tem Kevin McCarthy in an apparent payoff to dogwhistle anti-Semite Marjorie Taylor Greene and alleged sex trafficker Matt Gaetz to get the speakership–in which he continued his debunked claim that the events at the Capitol on January 6th were simply overstated; the QAnon Shaman wandering around the building trailed by officers was the evidence that proved that, Carlson claimed, not the hours of footage showing actual violence, pillaging and vandalism. The fallout from Carlson’s claims came from every corner: Republican Senators, late-night comedians, right-wing radio hosts, and even the police Fox claims to respect.
Fox made a major commitment to Carlson in 2021 for an estimated $10 million per year, focusing its effort to drive viewers to Fox’s online streaming current events site on content Carlson created or promoted. Ads on the network featured Carlson’s “exposés” or “documentaries” that regularly supported Carlson’s claimed white grievances. It built him a studio and gave him free rein; he gave them “The End of Men” about how “real” men are being eliminated in society, and a special on cattle mutilations. While Fox probably imagined “Tucker Carlson Originals” to feature exceptional in-depth analysis the same way Rachel Maddow’s podcasts and specials were fact-based, it made the central feature of its streaming service productions that focused on conspiracy theories and white grievance, Kyle Rittenhouse and UFOs.
The biggest reason to cut Carlson loose had nothing to do with his program or on-air personae. Murdoch would put up with embarrassment if it’s making him money; just look at the New York Post. Carlson not only cost Murdoch money with the Dominion decision, he was going to cost much more in Grossberg’s lawsuit, and his statements would be used in the larger Smartmatic case.
The Dominion case showed Fox hosts routinely broadcast lies; Carlson was arguably the most egregious of the two-faced Fox hosts. Carlson’s texts made it *that much* easier for people claiming Fox hosts slandered them to prove the on-air statements were made simply for ratings purposes; plaintiffs can claim the texts demonstrate Fox’s craven need to satisfy viewers at all costs.
Undoubtedly, the company that funds Fox Corp.’s stop-loss insurance laid out what exposure Fox/Murdoch faced. Adding it all up, that exposure was far greater Carlson under its umbrella. Fox wouldn’t be able to stop Carlson’s past recklessness from harming them; that’s water under the bridge. But they stopped future losses Carlson would cause. Dismissing Carlson could bring back some advertisers who boycotted the network because of his hatred. The network is in the odd position where it could fire the most-watched host in primetime cable news, lose viewership… but increase ad revenue.
CNN’s dismissal of Don Lemon–coincidentally announced the same day–shouldn’t be compared to Carlson’s abrupt departure. Lemon’s removal had been contemplated for months, largely due to Chris Licht taking over as CNN’s president last May. Licht removed Lemon from primetime late last year, putting him in a morning show format to which Lemon never took. Even as allegations of Lemon’s own misogyny and sexism hit the media earlier this month, Lemon’s exit had been in the works for months.
Even Fox’s departure from another Alpha Male wannabe Dan Bongino–who may have been dismissed for similar reasons as Carlson even though the public statement indicated a mutual separation; we know Fox lies about everything–is a drop in the bucket compared to the financial and programming losses Fox will suffer with Carlson’s ouster.
Carlson will land somewhere. His predecessor in the timeslot, Bill O’Reilly, fired after numerous claims he sexually harassed people, ended up on a podcast of his own. Carlson may try the same move, except closer to a Glenn Beck encapsulated network rather than just a podcast in an attempt to rebuild his Daily Caller days, but that audience will be more insulated and isolated, the perfect environment to incite lone wolves. There will always be an outlet for his brand of vitriol. And Fox will fill his slot with someone as loud, as white, and as opinionated as Carlson–but just not so prone to defame people.