Dem
51
GOP
49
Fox's cable station, where it sometimes mentions the events of the day, has completed its purge of all things Tucker Carlson. The network terminated the eight remaining staffers from his show, and also announced what its primetime lineup will be, going forward:
This is a little less bomb-thrower-y than the previous incarnation. Ingraham is, and has always been, Carlson lite, but is being shunted to the kiddie hour. The other four are a little more cautious, and Watters and Gutfeld rely a lot on humor, as opposed to wall-to-wall lunatic conspiracy theories. This is not to say that the whole roster won't indulge in whackadoodlery from time to time, but it won't be as frequent (and as lawsuit-worthy) as when Carlson ruled the roost.
Since Carlson was shown the door, Fox's ratings have been noticeably lower, while Newsmax's have been higher. Will the new Fox lineup, once it settles in, right the ship? We kinda doubt it. That said, the network was on a trajectory of lunacy that was unsustainable, and that already led to one nine-figure settlement (with another likely coming down the pike). Maybe "the ratings are lower, but at least we won't get sued" is ultimately more profitable than the Carlson-era alternative. (Z)