The decision from Fox News to fire cable news’ number one star, Tucker Carlson, without warning on Monday has already cost the network dearly.
Ratings at Fox News have plummeted, while competitors have seen a massive spike in ratings.
On Wednesday night during his former 8:00 p.m. time slot, Carlson broke his silence and addressed his sudden dismissal — and attacked both the mainstream media and both political parties.
“Both political parties and their donors have reached consensus on what benefits them and they actively collude to shut down any conversation about it,” Carlson said. “Suddenly the United States looks very much like a one-party state.”
“They’re brain dead. Nobody actually believes them,” he said about the ruling class. “Hardly anyone’s life is improved by them. This moment is too inherently ridiculous to continue and so it won’t.”
“The people in charge know this. That’s why they’re hysterical and aggressive,” Carlson said. “They’re afraid. They’ve given up persuasion, they’re resorting to force.”
“But it won’t work. When honest people say what’s true, calmly and without embarrassment, they become powerful,” Carlson continued. “At the same time, the liars who have been trying to silence them shrink and they become weaker. That’s the iron law of the universe: true things prevail.”
“Where can you still find Americans saying true things? There aren’t many places left, but there are some and that’s enough,” he concluded. “As long as you can hear the words, there is hope.”
Since Carlson’s dismissal, ratings have cratered at Fox News. According to The Los Angeles Times —
“Fox News Tonight” — the program temporarily filling the slot long occupied by Carlson — pulled in 1.7 million viewers with “Fox & Friends” host Brian Kilmeade, according to Nielsen data.
The number is 47% below what “Tucker Carlson Tonight” delivered in the 8 p.m. Eastern hour a week earlier on April 16. Carlson averaged 3.2 million viewers in the first quarter of 2023…
“Fox News Tonight” managed to top cable news competitors CNN and MSNBC in total audience. But the channel, typically a ratings powerhouse, suffered a rare loss in the hour among the advertiser-coveted demographic of viewers age 25 to 54.
CNN’s Anderson Cooper won the hour in the demo with 163,000 viewers, with MSNBC’s “All in With Chris Hayes” close behind at 162,000. Kilmeade scored 149,000 in the category. The ratings indicate Kilmeade won’t be giving up the morning shift anytime soon.
Without the tentpole that Carlson’s program provided, the ratings for other Fox News shows were down as well. “Hannity” averaged 2 million viewers, a decline of 20% from the previous week. “The Ingraham Angle” scored 1.56 million, down 12%.
Newsmax appeared to be the beneficiary of Carlson fans looking for an alternative. “Eric Bolling The Balance” pulled in 562,000 viewers in the 8 p.m. Eastern hour, a fivefold increase over last Tuesday when Carlson was his competition (with guest Elon Musk). Bolling is a former Fox News host.
The rest of the Newsmax lineup saw a lift as well, with the audiences for “Rob Schmitt Tonight,” “Prime News” and “Greg Kelly Reports” all doubling in size from a week ago.
Take a look at what Carlson posted on social media —
Good evening pic.twitter.com/SPrsYKWKCE
— Tucker Carlson (@TuckerCarlson) April 27, 2023