What appears to be a very diabolical decision by Fox News to not formally fire top-rated host Tucker Carlson has been revealed.
Originally published by WND News Center. Used with permission.
The network’s own news release April 24 never mentioned the word “fired” for Carlson, but tactfully stated: “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.”
Doug Billings of the Billings Report noted: “But, what does this actually mean? Fox will pay Carlson off but will try to keep him contained. He cannot even do a podcast if that happens. Carlson has a no-compete clause, so the longer they control him, he cannot appear anywhere. If they succeed Tucker will be tied up until December of 2024, after the presidential election. Carlson must try to get them to let him off the hook, which means he won’t receive any money from Fox, but he would stand to lose much more if he cannot be heard from for the next 19 months.
Billings continued: “Carlson had the largest audience on cable news and he won’t starve if Fox never gives him another red cent. He has already received three million-dollar offers since he was taken off the air. It all comes down to the deal the Tucker and Fox are able to make or the result of any lawsuit Carlson launches against the previous top name of cable news. Fox won’t give up easily. The last thing they want to do is compete with Carlson. Imagine what the stockholders would do if that would happen. They can’t be very happy as it is.”
Last week, meanwhile, former Fox anchor Megan Kelly saying Carlson has not been fired and is actually still on the payroll of the network, which she claims is having an “existential crisis,” as leaked video emerges of Carlson trashing the Fox Nation streaming service.
“I want to, I think, break some news for you. Tucker Carlson hasn’t actually been fired. He’s still an employee of the Fox News Channel,” Kelly said on her SiriusXM podcast Thursday.
“What happened was, Suzanne Scott called him, she’s the CEO, on Monday, morning, and said he was not going to be allowed to do any more shows, and that he had been kicked out of his company email, and now they’re going to have to negotiate an exit. Some reporting to me suggests that she said it’s going to be an amicable parting. Right? Isn’t it?”
“Completely catching Tucker off guard. But Tucker’s not fired. That’s my information, that the still needs to negotiate the exit, and right now, he’s not free to launch a podcast or a digital show or negotiate with other employers because he’s still under contract.”
WATCH:
Former Top Fox News host and insider Megyn Kelly reveals Tucker not actually FIRED from Fox yet— This is what's REALLY happening…
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) April 27, 2023
“They pulled his show off the air. They also fired his executive producer Justin Wells, and though he tried to find out why, they wouldn’t tell him. They refused to tell him why. I mean, to me, that’s just so disheartening.”
Kelly is also sounding the alarm for the survival of the network she left in 2017.
“Fox News is in a downward spiral that they’re going to have to claw to get themselves out of. This is an existential crisis for the channel and its primetime, which is how they make money,” she explained Friday. “They live off of their primetime, and the food has dried up.”
“You don’t need Fox anymore,” Kelly added.
“They’re not the monopoly in conservative media that they used to be – they’re just not. And so you take away the unique voice, the one thing that really is different over there. Tucker is different; he just comes at things from different angles … They’re taking away the one unique – truly unique – draw they had.”