Former Fox News host and current leading SiriusXM podcaster Megyn Kelly is well known for her ability to zero in on an issue and hit home runs with reality-based observations that generally leave her opponents reeling, and she’s done that again in remarks directed at Fox News brass.
Of late, Kelly has been roasting her former employer for the seemingly mindless decision to get rid of Tucker Carlson, the network’s ratings king.
We don’t know the full story yet and we may never, but on the surface, booting Carlson was mind-blowing and dumb given the fact that viewership numbers for his show were monster for a cable news offering.
During her Wednesday program, Kelly honed in on that and in doing so took a jab at Anheuser-Busch over its recent and equally mind-blowing decision to take the brand down the path of extreme wokeness by partnering with transgender activist Dylan Mulvaney, which has cost the brand dearly in terms of market value and sales.
Kelly responded to ex-CNN media critic Brian Stelter, who broke down the bad news for Rupert Murdoch and Fox News: “Tuesday’s ratings showcase the new normal for Fox without Tucker: 5pm: 2.72 million viewers. 6pm: 1.89 mil. 7pm: 2.04 mil. 8pm: 1.48 mil. 9pm: 1.91 mil. 10pm: 1.67 mil. Tucker averaged 3 mil at 8pm. So that hour has been cut in half. And the later hours have lost at least a quarter.”
Tuesday's ratings showcase the new normal for Fox without Tucker:
5pm: 2.72 million viewers
6pm: 1.89 mil
7pm: 2.04 mil
8pm: 1.48 mil
9pm: 1.91 mil
10pm: 1.67 milTucker averaged 3 mil at 8pm. So that hour has been cut in half. And the later hours have lost at least a quarter.
— Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) May 3, 2023
Kelly responded: “Bloodbath. Not even Bud Lite (which is currently giving away its beer in an effort to get ppl to pls pls drink it) lost this much of its customer base.”
Ouch.
How bad have things gotten at Fox in just the week or so they took Carlson off the air?
Fox News lost the primetime ratings battle to MSNBC, just one week after the unexpected departure of star anchor Tucker Carlson. In the advertiser-coveted 25-54 age demographic, MSNBC also surpassed Fox News in total viewers.
During Monday’s primetime hours, Fox News attracted 1.598 million total viewers and 164,000 demo viewers, while MSNBC had 1.693 million total viewers and 176,000 demo viewers. CNN came in third with 481,000 total viewers and 109,000 demo viewers. The Rachel Maddow show on MSNBC led primetime with 2.2 million total viewers, making it the third highest-rated show of the day.
Fox News easily bested the other major cable news outlets for years. Now it’s losing to far-left MSNBC on a regular basis.
Again, we don’t know why Fox News killed its golden goose. But it sure wasn’t a smart business decision. Will the network bosses now regain their composure and reconsider their obvious mistake? Time will tell but the results are in: Fox needs Carlson more than he needs them.