Why did Rupert Murdoch fire Tucker Carlson?
Everyone wants to know, but the more intriguing question is: what's next for Tucker? Even Murdoch can't answer that.
First, Tucker needs to decide whether to stay in the game.
No one would blame him if he scooped up his marbles and retired. He's routinely and viciously attacked by the press, which has painted a nonsensical caricature of him. He certainly doesn't need the paycheck.
He also seems pretty happy in this recent picture, telling the Daily Mail, "Retirement is going great so far. I haven't eaten dinner with my wife on a weeknight in seven years … appetizers plus entree!"
So, while Tucker could easily walk away from the media world at this point in his life, it's difficult to imagine him doing so. He's still relatively young, and his voice has a powerful impact on those who listen to him. The question, then, is not whether he'll continue to make his mark on the media landscape, but how.
Still … name a former Fox News host who's gone on to bigger and better things after leaving the network. You can't.
When former big-name stars left the channel, we had the same conversations and questions. “How can Fox survive without Bill O’Reilly?!” Yet former Fox stars are a cautionary tale, since none of them managed to top the impact they had while at Fox.
Every conservative outlet will want Tucker aboard, but what do they really offer him? He's lost the biggest conservative megaphone in the country, and as of now, there's literally no replacement.
Fame is a depreciating asset, and it's likely that Fox News will try to keep him off the air for a while, either through legal means or a voluntary payment. If Tucker wants to capitalize fully on his current notoriety, he'll need to act quickly.
Here's the billion-dollar question: Could Tucker be the catalyst for a real Fox News competitor?
Could Tucker join forces with some of his former Fox News colleagues and create a new conservative media powerhouse? With the combined star power of figures like Bill O'Reilly, Megyn Kelly, Glenn Beck, and Greta Van Susteren, a rival network could pose a serious challenge to Fox News' dominance in the conservative media sphere.
It reminds me, just a bit, of this Planet of the Apes moment …
Fox News earned a profit of about $2 billion last year … that's 2,000 million after they paid all their bills. Cable television is an massive business, and even "losers" like CNN and MSNBC pull in a combined $1.2 billion in profit each year.
But the ratings math is even more intriguing. Yes, Fox News is a solid product, but it's never had a serious conservative competitor. Newsmax has played the "more conservative" card, but still lacks the talent, overall vision, news operation, graphics, or watchability to draw a substantive audience.
Here are the March 2023 ratings:
Imagine a conservative competitor with Tucker on at 8 pm, and a few of the vintage Fox stars. Not only would it change the business model, but conservatives deserve more than one substantive channel.
This wouldn't be an easy task.
It'd take a massive investment, juggling huge egos, assembling hundreds of talented support staff, and a little luck. But the upsides would be enormous, and even pulling 30% of Fox's audience could become a wildly successful venture.
Of course, there's always the possibility that Tucker will choose a different path entirely. He could decide to focus on the digital world, writing or even politics.
Regardless of the route he chooses, one thing is clear: Tucker Carlson's voice is not one that will be easily silenced.
Excellent idea creating a competitor to Fox News. I would be all for that and would subscribe immediately.
Rush spent a little relatively unsuccessful time on television. So far, no radio commentator has even come close to his influence and success. People would listen. Tucker would call the shots. Podcasts too.