Fox News Host Predicts ‘Worthwhile Outcome’ From Tucker Carlson, Don Lemon Departures

Tucker Carlson speaks at Time Warner Center in N.Y.C., on Nov. 29, 2017. (Roy Rochlin/Getty Images)

Fox News host Howard Kurtz suggested that Tucker Carlson’s exit from the network could be a “worthwhile outcome” for Fox in the long term as the channel has issued virtually no public statements about why he left.

Kurtz attempted to find a silver lining after Carlson’s sudden departure stunned the cable news world and broadcasting in general. He also noted that CNN confirmed it fired former longtime host Don Lemon after Carlson’s exit.

“The big picture raised by the dismissals at Fox and CNN is whether we are entering a new era in which some limits are imposed on what even the most popular hosts can say. Management at all the networks may be more likely to rein in their top talent and insist on fact-checking rather than risk embarrassment or lawsuits for the airing of false information. That, if it comes to pass, might just be a worthwhile outcome,” Kurtz said.

“That, if it comes to pass, might just be a worthwhile outcome,” he added, without elaborating.

Last Monday, Fox News issued a statement confirming it “parted ways” with Carlson, while news anchor Harris Faulkner announced his departure. Later on Monday, Fox’s Brian Kilmeade filled in for Carlson’s 8 p.m. timeslot and made a brief mention of the former Fox News star.

But since then, the network has not commented on Carlson’s exit, including the reasons for his departure, who authorized it, how it was carried out, or the contours of any agreements the two parties may have. Kurtz appears to be the first host to address Carlson’s ouster, although his comments appear to be speculative.

During a podcast interview, Kilmeade praised Carlson and refuted claims that Fox News would suffer a catastrophic ratings drop while responding to calls from Steve Bannon to boycott Fox after Carlson’s departure. “Tucker’s very different. He’s the original thought leader. I’m with his team now,” he said last week. “They’re unbelievable in terms of producers. You’ve got a great producing team here.”

“These are a bunch of people who think they can run this network and they can’t. And one thing I will tell you … no one tells us what to do,” he said in response to a question about ratings. “No one—’Fox & Friends,’ three hours in the morning, three-hour radio show, you know, something goes wrong, we have media relations call and say, ‘What happened?’ That’s about it. So it’s the No. 1 show for 25 years. And I don’t think we have to curtail our format to make Steve Bannon happy.”

Few Statements

Meanwhile, the only public statements made by Fox News to other media outlets, including The Epoch Times, were made in reference to the channel’s ratings. No mention of Carlson has been made in any statements—other than the initial one confirming his departure.

“For more than 21 years, Fox News Channel has been cable news’ most-watched network in all categories with more Democrats, Independents and Republicans now tuning in than either CNN or MSNBC,” Fox News said in a statement. “Attracting more than 50 percent of the cable news viewing audience with the top 12 programs in cable news, Fox News’ powerhouse team of journalists, analysts and opinion hosts are trusted more by viewers than any other news source.”

When reached for comment on Sunday about new claims that were made about Carlson and Fox News over the weekend, a Fox spokesperson pointed to the initial news release.

Carlson released a video on April 24 that didn’t address his ouster or further details. He instead criticized the state of the media for focusing on pointless stories and debates with little lasting impact.

Ratings Decline?

Ratings for Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday suggest that Fox News, at least in the short term, will see a decline in ratings. Fox announced that for the 8 p.m. ET time slot, it will run a temporary program known as “Fox News Tonight” featuring a slate of rotating hosts. There have been reports that Lawrence Jones will host the next installment of the program after Kilmeade.

Carlson, meanwhile, had averaged more than 3 million total viewers per night between April 17 to April 21, according to data posted by Nielsen. The network averaged about 1.8 million viewers each night during the first four days of last week up until Thursday, April 25.

Outside of Carlson, Nielsen ratings shows that other programs, including Sean Hannity’s and Laura Ingraham’s shows, saw a decline in viewership week-over-week.