“Foxweiser’d” – it’s a verb to describe taking a majority approved brand and aligning yourself with minority interests to destroy it. Also called stepping on a rake.
With Fox News reported to have lost half their audience, the trio of MSNBC, CNN and Fox Corp are now neck, neck and neck, in a three-way race to the bottom. Into this financial spiral, which doesn’t seem the least bit worrisome to the board and owners who are more concerned with their multinational financial interests, comes Fox News prepositioning to avoid further downgrading via a Tucker counter offensive.
Axios is reporting that Tucker Carlson is going to launch nuclear tipped verbal SCUDS at Fox News as soon as his tongue is unleashed. However, a note of caution is warranted. Which is more likely: (a) that Carlson is going to expend the energy on an irrelevant media network committed to destroying itself; or (b) that Fox News is leaking information to Axios in a proactive measure to mitigate their fall into irrelevance.
Stop Pretending – Anyone who is still appearing on Fox News to support the network, specifically including anyone who would appear on Sean Hannity show – a man entirely compromised by his zipper problems and therefore useful to the interests of the opposition, is at this point aligning themselves against ‘We The People’. [Insert upcoming tour de’ force of Fox News on behalf of Ron DeSantis here]
AXIOS – Tucker Carlson is preparing to unleash allies to attack Fox News in an effort to bully the network into letting him work for — or start — a right-wing rival, sources close to him tell Axios.
Bryan Freedman, the high-powered Hollywood lawyer Carlson retained for the contract dispute, told Axios: “The idea that anyone is going to silence Tucker and prevent him from speaking to his audience is beyond preposterous.”
Why it matters: Tucker vs. Fox could reshape the conservative news world. Fox, which has seen its ratings plunge in Carlson’s slot since he was let go 13 days ago, wants to sideline him by paying him $20 million a year not to work.
The intrigue: Axios has learned Carlson is busy plotting a media empire of his own. But he needs Fox to let him out of his contract, which expires in January 2025 — after the presidential election.
We’re told Carlson has been contacted by outlets — including the right-wing Rumble and Newsmax — that offered to pay him more than his Fox contract.
Behind the scenes: Axios has learned that Carlson and Elon Musk had a conversation about working together, but didn’t discuss specifics.
Carlson confidants say he also is contemplating building a direct-to-consumer media outlet where his millions of fans could pay to watch him. Carlson’s predecessor in his Fox slot, Bill O’Reilly, created a blueprint for this.
Two days after being booted, Carlson teased in a Twitter video posted at 8 p.m. ET, counter-programming his former show: “See you soon.” The two-minute video has racked up 24 million views.
State of play: The ousted host “knows where a lot of bodies are buried, and is ready to start drawing a map,” said a Carlson source who wasn’t authorized to speak publicly.
Carlson allies with big platforms are prepared to attack Fox for trying to keep him on the shelf.
Bare-knuckle brawlers from Trumpworld are standing by. (read more)
One thing that should be noted – all of Roger Ailes’ former team would be willing to work free of charge to assist Tucker in breaking billionaire Rupert Murdoch if that was the intent. It’s not, because there’s no need to destroy an enemy that is destroying itself.
