Tucker Carlson Found Out He Was Fired While He and Staff Were Prepping Monday's Show: Reports
Tucker Carlson’s staffers were in the middle of preparing for Monday night’s broadcast when they were informed the show and its host was canceled on Monday morning when Fox News abruptly fired its top-rated host, according to reports.
Bill O’Reilly, who knows the ins and outs of Fox News just as well as anyone, reported the shocking new details surrounding Carlson’s ouster Tuesday on his No Spin News blog.
The former Fox News host, who held Carlson’s 8 p.m. ET slot for two decades until he was himself forced out in 2017 amid sexual misconduct allegations, explained how the events unfolded.
“Each morning TV News producers around the country hold meetings to figure out what to put on the air,” O’Reilly wrote in a pithy message. “On Monday, the Tucker Carlson production team was smack in the middle of their meeting when they learned that their host was not coming to work. Ever again.”
He commented, “Stunning is the appropriate word.”
O’Reilly also explained how he felt Carlson’s termination would harm the Republican Party ahead of next year’s presidential election.
“Fox News is a far different place than it was when I spent 20 years there. And by this time next year, it will be a far different place again, of that I am certain,” O’Reilly explained.
He concluded, “The change at Fox News will affect the Republican Party deeply. It will be much tougher for the GOP to get messages out.”
O’Reilly did not explain who his sources were but the report backs up some information that was first reported by Vanity Fair, which claimed on Monday that Carlson was “blindsided” by his termination.
Ten minutes after Carlson was fired, a two-sentence statement changed the face of cable news, The Wall Street Journal reported.
“Fox News Media and Tucker Carlson have agreed to part ways,” the network said in a statement. “We thank him for his service to the network as a host and prior to that as a contributor.”
This writer can concur that TV news programs do have what is called an editorial meeting each morning where it is decided what segments will air and when.
Those details are worked out by the minute and the host and producers in their ears do their best to stay on that schedule during showtime.
In Carlson’s case, per O’Reilly, those discussions were well underway early Monday when the decision to cancel the host was executed by management.
Carlson was suddenly out of a job and millions of people who counted on him to tell them the unrestricted truth about what was happening to their country were and are in the dark.
Cable’s top-rated host offered no indication at the end of his final broadcast that he suspected any such action was coming down the corporate pipeline. His final words on last Friday’s show were, “We’ll see you Monday.”
Reports indicate the decision was made at the top levels of the company by people such as Fox Corp. chairs Rupert and Lachlan Murdoch and Fox News CEO Suzanne Scott.
The decision to fire Carlson has immediately cost Fox Corp. millions of dollars in market value.
Viewers will decide if the company’s stock rebounds.
Carlson will land on his feet either somewhere else or he could retire as a young man and enjoy the fruits of his labor.
The only parties that truly stand to lose from the move are Fox News and the millions of people who are suddenly left without a voice to litigate on their behalf against corruption.
Carlson was an important voice in conservative media at a time when he was needed the most.
His absence is stunning, even to those of us who have questioned the mission of Fox News for some time.
Truth and Accuracy
We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism. Read our editorial standards.
