As we reported earlier this week, it was a bit of a stunner when Fox announced that it had agreed to “part ways” with Tucker Carlson.
FOX News Media and Tucker Carlson have agreed to part ways. We thank him for his service to the network as a host and prior to that as a contributor.
Mr. Carlson’s last program was Friday April 21st. Fox News Tonight will air live at 8 PM/ET starting this evening as an interim show helmed by rotating FOX News personalities until a new host is named.
It seemed abrupt at best, without even giving him the opportunity for a goodbye show or remarks. Moreover, he had anticipated being back to work Monday. So, that would suggest that the parting of ways was unanticipated and developed over the weekend.
As we reported, Megyn Kelly made some remarks earlier in the week about what a bad move Fox had made on the matter.
But she also then subsequently made some further remarks on her Sirius XM show about Tucker’s parting. Her remarks haven’t been getting the attention in the media that they deserve. Here’s what Kelly is alleging about what happened, according to what was being reported to her. She said that he hadn’t been fired, that he was still employed by Fox and under contract, while they are working out an “exit.”
Kelly said the CEO Suzanne Scott told him his show was done on Monday, he wasn’t going to be able to do any more, and he’d been kicked out of the company email. “Some reporting to me,” Kelly said, was that Scott said it was going to be an “amicable parting.” Supposedly, no one explained to him why he couldn’t do his show anymore.
But here’s the part that’s potentially problematic for Tucker — at least for the moment. Because he’s still employed there, Kelly is saying Carlson is not free to negotiate with other potential employers or other opportunities while he’s still technically under contract with Fox. She said that they did let Tucker’s executive producer go, as well.
Kelly called it all “disrespectful” and “gross,” considering all Tucker has done for the network by seeing it through the difficult time post-Roger Ailes, and Kelly herself leaving the network. She said she wondered how that was going to affect Fox; we’re seeing how it’s hitting them hard in the ratings since his parting. “Tucker Carlson deserved better,” Kelly declared.
There’s a report from 19FortyFive from John Rossamondo that Tucker Carlson texted them, “I’m still employed by Fox,” that he had not been fired. Now, we’re not seeing anyone else reporting on that, so we relate that report with that proviso. That report does, however, fit with what Kelly said. 19FortyFive also said Carlson did not explain the reasoning for the parting of ways, just as Kelly said.
If this is all true, then, as Kelly says, Fox needs to let Carlson out of the contract as soon as possible, so his voice is freed to get about doing his job. But for the moment, it’s concerning, if it means he’s stopped from pursuing other opportunities and is effectively silenced. It sounds like he has good representation, though, so let’s hope that this gets worked out as quickly as possible so he is free to go elsewhere.