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A report published over the weekend cited internal sources at Fox News claiming to know which current network host has the “inside track” to take over Tucker Carlson’s primetime slot.
Two sources with the cable news network who spoke to the outlet 19FortyFive revealed that Laura Ingraham is likely to replace Carlson at 8 pm EDT. Currently, Ingraham hosts a show at 10 pm EDT, so the move to Carlson’s slot would give her much more opportunity to draw in more viewers.
The outlet adds:
While Ingraham seems, at least for now, the leading candidate to fill 8 pm, there are other options.
Sean Hannity could also make a move into the prime 8 pm slot and would be a major contender for the spot, although he seems very comfortable at 9 pm. It is also possible that Jessie Watters could relocate from 7 pm to 8 pm – with an hour of news coming after Special Report with Brett Baier. A long shot would be to move the popular 6 pm news program to 7 pm and move around more talent and shows.
There is always also the possibility that Shannon Bream, who has filled in for Baier and is now the host of Fox News Sunday, could get the 7 pm or 10 pm slot in such a shuffle of in-house talent and make more moves.
For New, though, Fox News has lost its perch atop the cable news industry after executives decided to take top host Carlson off the air, and now they have to figure out how to deal with it.
Lachlan Murdoch, the CEO of Fox Corporation, announced on Tuesday that the network will not change its primetime strategy following the removal of Carlson.
During a Tuesday earnings call, Lachlan Murdoch, the CEO of Fox Corporation, stated that the network’s primetime strategy would not change following the unexpected departure of Tucker Carlson, who hosted “Tucker Carlson Tonight” for seven years and became a prominent figure in the conservative movement, the Daily Wire reported.
Fox News announced last month that it would be “parting ways” with Carlson.
“As regards to our programming strategy in primetime, there’s no change to our programming strategy at Fox News,” Lachlan responded after being asked about the network’s strategy moving forward. “It’s obviously a successful strategy. And as always, we are adjusting our programming and our lineup, and that’s what we continue to do. We are pleased with the strength of the advertising demand throughout our schedule, but particularly primetime.”
The outlet noted further:
Fox News dominated primetime ratings in the first three months of 2023, easily surpassing networks such as CNN and MSNBC with more than 2 million viewers each evening, during which “Tucker Carlson Tonight” was consistently the top primetime show, especially among the 25-54 age demographic coveted by advertisers.
In the weeks after the Carlson ouster, on the other hand, Fox News averaged 1.5 million viewers at primetime and maintained none of the ten most popular cable programs. The five final editions of “Tucker Carlson Tonight” had accounted for each of the five largest primetime audiences at Fox News in the week before the ouster.
“There is no change to our programming strategy at Fox News.”#FoxNews CEO Lachlan Murdoch said there will be no change in the firm’s strategy after the surprise exit of its top-rated host @TuckerCarlson 2 weeks ago. https://t.co/3KHZDKo9ff
— The Epoch Times (@EpochTimes) May 9, 2023
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— Conservative Brief (@ConservBrief) May 6, 2023
Leaked Texts Show Who Jesse Watters Wanted FIRED From Fox Newshttps://t.co/MujHxyHZ86
— Conservative Brief (@ConservBrief) May 10, 2023
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Murdoch and the other Fox executives announced a quarterly loss of $50 million during the call, a significant decrease from the $290 million profit made in the same period last year. The loss was mainly due to the nearly $800 million settlement paid to Dominion Voting Systems, which accused Fox News hosts of spreading false claims about the company’s voting equipment following the 2020 presidential election. The allegations against Dominion included claims that the company had offered bribes and changed votes.
“We made the business decision to resolve this dispute and avoid the acrimony of a divisive trial and a multiyear appeal process,” Murdoch said during the call. “Our decision is clearly in the best interest of the company and its shareholders. The settlement in no way alters Fox’s commitment to the highest journalistic standards…”
