Fox News has named Jesse Watters as Tucker Carlson’s replacement for the network’s coveted 8 p.m. time slot.
On Monday, Suzanne Scott, CEO of FOX News Media, announced the new primetime lineup in a press release.
The new lineup will begin on July 17 and also moves Laura Ingraham’s show from 10 pm to 7 pm.
“FOX News Channel (FNC) will debut a new primetime lineup on July 17th, announced Suzanne Scott, CEO of FOX News Media. Starting at 7 PM/ET, FNC’s Laura Ingraham will kick off primetime with Jesse Watters taking over the 8 PM/ET timeslot followed by Sean Hannity who will remain at 9 PM/ET while Greg Gutfeld moves to 10 PM/ET. Nightly newscast FOX News @ Night with Trace Gallagher will air an hour earlier at 11 PM/ET,” the press release said.
Scott said of the changes, “FOX News Channel has been America’s destination for news and analysis for more than 21 years and we are thrilled to debut a new lineup. The unique perspectives of Laura Ingraham, Jesse Watters, Sean Hannity, and Greg Gutfeld will ensure our viewers have access to unrivaled coverage from our best-in-class team for years to come.”
Jesse Watters Primetime originally launched last year in the 7 pm timeslot.
“Featuring Watters’ fresh take on the major headlines of the day while interviewing newsmakers from across the country, the show has been number one in its timeslot for the 18 months since it launched, delivering the highest-rated 7 PM/ET hour in cable news history,” the press release stated. “In addition to hosting Primetime, Watters is also a co-host of The Five, the 5 PM/ET roundtable discussion program that has been number one in cable news and all of cable for the last seven consecutive quarters.”
Meanwhile, Carlson has been hosting his own show on Twitter — achieving tens of million views per episode.
Ep. 4 Wannabe Dictator pic.twitter.com/MDcs5g0gxB
— Tucker Carlson (@TuckerCarlson) June 15, 2023
Fox News sent Carlson a cease and desist order, claiming that hosting his show violates his contract with the network — even though they fired him without any explanation. He was abruptly pulled off the air in April, despite being the network’s most popular personality — by far.
Axios recently obtained a copy of the cease and desist letter, which they report said “NOT FOR PUBLICATION” in bold at the top.
“Fox is continuing to pay Carlson, and maintains that his contract keeps his content exclusive to Fox through Dec. 31, 2024,” the report explained. “Carlson is making a First Amendment argument for posting on Twitter, and asserts that Fox has committed material breaches of his contract.”
Harmeet Dhillon, a lawyer who represents Carlson, told Axios, “Fox News continues to ignore the interests of its viewers, not to mention its shareholder obligations.”
“Doubling down on the most catastrophic programming decision in the history of the cable news industry, Fox is now demanding that Tucker Carlson be silent until after the 2024 election,” Dhillon continued. “Tucker will not be silenced by anyone … He is a singularly important voice on matters of public interest in our country, and will remain so.”
For all the friends who have been asking “why don’t we see you on Fox anymore?” — This is why. I am passionately committed to free speech and a free flow of information necessary for a free society. Until Fox stops trying to silence Tucker, it’s not a place for me. And I feel for…
— Harmeet K. Dhillon (@pnjaban) June 12, 2023
Dhillon also tweeted about the attempted muzzling, writing, “For all the friends who have been asking ‘why don’t we see you on Fox anymore?’ — This is why. I am passionately committed to free speech and a free flow of information necessary for a free society. Until Fox stops trying to silence Tucker, it’s not a place for me. And I feel for my friends working at the network which has clearly caved into pressure from some quarter to silence @TuckerCarlson . What you are seeing on Fox today is a censored version of the news. Keep that in mind as you make your viewing and your commenting choices.”
Carlson has ignored the order and continues to publish his show.
