Jay Weber Show transcript 4-25-23
My friends-in the highest levels of broadcast radio and tv today-it is rare that a popular host is fired with no previous notice.
And it is virtually unheard of that the station’s most prominent and valuable money-maker is fired without notice.
I tell you-this Tucker Carlson firing ‘just doesn’t happen’...that’s what made yesterday’s announcement so shocking: that fox news was getting rid of tucker-and had completely blindsided him.
This is a -really-stupid decision that fox execs had to know was going to harm their bottom line, cause their stock to drop, infuriate viewers, affect current and future ratings and profits.
This was such an insane move that i can only think of one reason why they’d do it: because it was part of the court settlement with dominion.
I am guessing, and I’m also shocked that no other news outlet or pundit seemed to put this together: yes-every story mentions that this comes in the wake of the massive dominion settlement in which fox corporate had to pay nearly 800-million dollars in a defamation settlement...
But I’ve heard no one suggest that firing tucker might be a condition of the settlement.
I think it had to be-in order for Fox execs and the Fox board to make this move.
After all-Tucker wasn’t shamelessly forwarding Donald Trump’s narrative with no skepticism or push back. That was Hannity and other hosts.
But Tucker was the one who was slamming Fox executives on the corporate email. Which-by the way-is dumb. The company can monitor all of that- and/or-it can come up later in instances like this.
I’m betting that this was one of the demands Dominion made as part of the settlement: and you get rid of that Tucker Carlson.
It makes me wonder if they didn’t want even more fox show hosts fired-given that there were three or four ousted in the lawsuit- and maybe fox agreed to just one-but we’ll give you the biggest trophy. We’ll fire tucker.
I’m wondering what will come out over the next few days, related to this.
Either way: this is certain-Tucker Carlson also has offers from oan and other conservative news outlets- across all media: tv, radio, and print- to come and work for them.
Tucker, at the very least, will end up with a nationwide radio show or a new tv show on a more mavericky network.
However-I’m seeing other conservative pundits insisting that he’s going to ‘cash in’ now and make even bigger money.
Where?
Where is tucker going to get a bigger contract?
If he’s smart-he will do the Glenn Beck or Oprah thing and build his own corporation-around himself- and build wealth via individual contracts across various mediums....because...this guy has been a vilified nearly as much as Donald Trump has- by the MSM and the activist left-and none of them are going to hire him.
Two things-will- limit his options: first, Tucker has been so thoroughly vilified and labeled a white supremacist ‘danger to democracy’ inside of that east coast bubble that none of the traditional networks will touch him. And they’re the ones who have the money to offer the contracts worth tens of millions of dollars.
But they won’t hire him.
You watch-as desperate as they are- neither CNN or MSNBC will come after him. And he certainly won’t be invited to host a show on ABC, CNN, or NBC, either.
Think about this: what better way to revive your failing Sunday morning news shows- on one of these networks-than making Tucker the host?
If you are CNN or MSNBC: what better way to steal fox viewers and immediately reverse your fortunes- than snapping up tucker and getting him on the air-asap? Correct?
What a great ‘screw you’ it would be to fox. But watch: neither CNN nor MSNBC will do it-
And that-by the way- will prove that the leaders of these networks -are not- putting profits and a popular product over politics-as they should be.
Tucker is a popular product. Everyone knows he has a conservative perspective. You wouldn’t be fooling anyone if you decided that you were going to ‘sell that product’ to viewers on your network: people tuning in would know what they are getting-
What a great way for CNN to immediately change their fortunes and find a direction for their wayward ship.
But they won’t do it. Because Carlson has been too thoroughly maligned as a villain among the east coast elites and the DC and NY glitterati who control these companies. They routinely claim Tucker Carlson is a ‘danger to democracy’, for heaven’s sake.
And so- Tuckers’ biggest hurdle to another huge contract is that -those-are the news outlets and execs who can afford to offer the most lucrative contracts-correct?
And so-he’s likely to land ‘outside’ of the traditional or ‘more watched’ news outlets, and is going to have to find that big money on...satellite radio....or with OAN or Americas’ news network...if they can find the dough.
More likely, he’s going to have to go the Glenn Beck route, and become his own company, which would be a better fit, anyway.
Apparently, tucker really bristled against Fox’s management and editorial outlook...and so, now he can be his own boss. Wherever he goes, millions of fans will follow him.
But he was-absolutely- pushed out because of the dominion settlement – and you must realize that Fox execs did it-fully knowing how much it would harm the network: viewers are infuriated. It was their highest rated show. He was the most popular and well-known host.
Profits are going to take a big hit.
In fact, yesterday alone, even before trading had closed, fox stock had taken a one-billion dollar hit.
Think about it: fox news lost a billion dollars in stock value yesterday.... after agreeing to hand over nearly a billion dollars to dominion...and a second defamation lawsuit is yet to be settled.
Tucker is only 53 and if i was him- I’d retire and enjoy life more and only dabble in things from now on. Write columns and books. Appear on other people’s shows in a paid pundit’s gig. That sort of thing...but i assume he’s going to want to keep working and being a celebrity...and he’ll be just fine.
I’m the only one that I know of who is suggesting that tucker’s firing might have been a condition of the settlement...and i could be completely wrong...but other pundits and insiders are suggesting that this is more about fox news trying to tone down it’s on-air personalities in the wake of these defamation suits...
After all,...it’s not bill hemmer and Bret Baier or the hosts of ‘the five’ that have gotten them into legal trouble. It’s the more bombastic night-time hosts.
Last week, Dan Bongino parted ways with fox. Maybe they are getting rid of the hard hitters in their line-up.
The problem is-it’s been the more honest ‘harder hitters’ who have been bringing in the ratings.
3.2 million people watched Tucker Carlson every night last year.
Nearly as many watches Laura Ingraham and Sean Hannity. Are they targets for dismissal, too? now? Because they say things that are equivalent to what tucker says on most nights.
It’ll be interesting to see what Tucker, himself, has to say about all of this when he finally speaks about it.
He wasn’t even given a chance to say goodbye to his audience. He signed off Friday’s show saying-we’ll see you Monday night.
Nope.
Fox says they will have rotating hosts until they can find a replacement. Jesse waters is probably a strong contender. Given that his show is the fourth most popular on Fox and gets 2-million viewers each night-outside of primetime.
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