In a decision that has sparked widespread discussion, Fox News has reportedly terminated all staff members associated with the popular program “Tucker Carlson Tonight.” This move comes three months after the show’s host, Tucker Carlson, was let go by the network.
EXCLUSIVE: Sources have told me Fox News has just terminated the rest of @TuckerCarlson's former staff. They want the nine remaining employees to continue working until mid-July.
— Chadwick Moore (@Chadwick_Moore) June 26, 2023
The confirmation of the terminations was provided by former Fox News guest Chadwick Moore, who revealed that the nine remaining employees were asked to continue working until mid-July.
The Daily Caller, a digital news platform co-founded by Carlson, also confirmed the dismissals.
A former Fox News producer, who chose to remain anonymous, expressed their views on the situation, describing the action as “shockingly callous.” This sentiment is amplified by the fact that some of the producers affected had shown loyalty to the network for more than ten years.
The recent dismissals come in the wake of a controversial incident where a producer was fired for allegedly creating a misleading on-screen caption that referred to President Joe Biden as a “wannabe dictator.” However, Fox News has not officially disclosed the specific reasons behind these recent terminations.
Ep. 4 Wannabe Dictator pic.twitter.com/MDcs5g0gxB
— Tucker Carlson (@TuckerCarlson) June 15, 2023
The producer’s creation of a 27-second banner resulted in swift removal and the subsequent loss of their job, causing an uproar among liberal voices on various social media platforms.
Fox News told The Hill that “the chyron was taken down immediately and was addressed.” https://t.co/qy0rjInoF2
— The Hill (@thehill) June 15, 2023
In an apparent effort to rebuild and distance themselves from Tucker Carlson, Fox executives have made significant changes following his firing in late April. With declining ratings, Fox News announced a reshuffling of its prime-time slots. Jesse Watters will permanently take over Carlson’s previous time slot, while Laura Ingraham’s show will move to 7 p.m. Sean Hannity will continue in his 9 p.m. slot, and the Greg Gutfeld show will be rescheduled to 10 p.m.
This development occurs amid an ongoing dispute between Fox News and Carlson, who has resorted to broadcasting on Twitter since his departure from the network. According to The Guardian, Fox News Media executives assert that Tucker remains under contract and is prohibited from posting content on competing platforms.
Tucker argues that the network violated the terms of his contract and that Twitter should not be considered a competing platform.
The saga between Fox News and Tucker Carlson began when Carlson questioned the integrity of the 2020 election and raised doubts about the reports from the January 6 Select Congressional Committee.
The Guardian reported that “Carlson was fired on the personal order of Fox owner Rupert Murdoch for, among other things, using vulgar language to describe a female executive.”
While the exact reasons for Carlson’s departure remain unclear, it coincided with Fox News settling a defamation lawsuit with Dominion and facing an internal lawsuit accusing them of sexism and a hostile work environment, filed by Abby Grossberg, Carlson’s former senior booking producer.
Fox News maintains that Carlson’s departure was a mutual agreement.
