Popular right-wing host on Fox News, Tucker Carlson, is leaving the cable network in an unprecedented decision announced on Monday. However, this is not the first media house to have parted ways with Carlson. He has previously left gigs at CNN and MSNBC.
“FOX News Media and Tucker Carlson have agreed to part ways,” the company said in a statement on Monday. “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.”
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Just days before announcing that they would be parting ways with Carlson, Fox News’ parent company settled Dominion Voting Systems’ defamation lawsuit for $787.5 million.
Tucker Carlson at CNN
In 2000, Carlson briefly co-hosted a show called The Spin Room on CNN. The next year, he was appointed co-host of Crossfire, a show which was built on the concept of political debate. Carlson and Robert Novak represented the political right. At the same time, James Carville and Paul Begala represented the left.
According to the Atlantic, the turning point in Carlson’s career came after the former Daily Show host Jon Stewart roasted him after he appeared on Crossfire to promote his book. When Carlson was singled out by Stewart for criticism, he counter-criticized Stewart for being biased toward liberals. Even The New York Times referred to Stewart’s “on-air dressing-down” of Carlson as an “ignominious career [moment]” for Carlson. The newspaper suggests that the segment led to the cancellation of the show.
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Carlson has opposed the notion, saying, “I resigned from Crossfire in April [2004], many months before Jon Stewart came on our show because I didn’t like the partisanship, and I thought in some ways it was kind of a pointless conversation.” CNN chief Jonathan Klein told Carlson on January 5, 2005, that the network will not be renewing his contract.
Tucker Carlson at MSNBC
After leaving CNN, Carlson joined MSNBC on June 13, 2005. His evening show, Tucker premiered with Rachel Maddow and Jay Severin featured as guests. During the 2006 Winter Olympics, he also hosted a weekday wrap-up for the network
His show, Tucker was canceled by the network on March 10, 2008, due to low ratings. Regardless, he chose to remain with the network as a senior campaign correspondent for the 2008 election. The New York Times claimed that MSNBC’s evening programming was gradually moving to the left during Carlson’s tenure with the network. As a result, he eventually lost his prime time slots to liberal hosts like Ed Schultz and Rachel Maddow.
After leaving the network, Carlson said the network “didn’t have a role for me” after making a number of internal changes.