Fox News announced that one of its highest-rated cable TV hosts, Tucker Carlson, has left the network.
Carlson was credited with setting the agenda for US conservatives and attacking the ‘woke’ narratives. In a statement released by Fox News, they said Carlson had agreed to “part ways”.
The statement added that Carlson’s last TV programme was Friday 21 April. Fox said a series of provisional hosts will now host his primetime slot until a permanent replacement is found.
However, the two-paragraph announcement gave no explanation for the abrupt decision.
On air, a Fox News anchorperson announced the exit with a mention that thanked Carlson “for his service to the network”.
The 53-year-old was not just a famous presenter, but also a historically influential one. His programs usually set the agenda for conservatives and, by extension, the Republican party.
His programme offered a mixture of populist conservative takes on topics varying from immigration, criminality, ethnicity, gender and sexuality, with “woke” doctrine becoming a regular target.
According to Nielsen data for the week of 27 March to 2 April, it made up four of the top 10 rated programmes on US cable TV.
He was Fox News’s top-rated host, with more than three million viewers tuning in on an average night.
Carlson’s departure comes just days after Fox News settled a defamation lawsuit from the voting machine company Dominion over its coverage of the 2020 presidential election.
In the lawsuit, Dominion argued that its business was harmed by Fox spreading false claims its machines were rigged against Mr Trump.
The case prompted disclosures of text messages that showed Carlson’s private views often contrasted with his on-air output.
His show, which aired in the coveted 20:00 to 21:00 slot, was cited repeatedly in court documents by Dominion’s attorneys in their claim some of its output was defamatory.
