CNN’s Oliver Darcy Says that Fox News’ Ratings Are Collapsing with Tucker Carlson’s Departure

COOPER Oliver how does ░░░░░░░░ square with your own ░░░░░░░░ DARCY Anderson in Rupert ░░░░░░░░ s empire no one ░░░░░░░░ be bigger than the ░░░░░░░░ News brand and I ░░░░░░░░ these messages even the ░░░░░░░░ messages indicate that Tucker ░░░░░░░░ clearly thought that he ░░░░░░░░ that I mean in ░░░░░░░░ messages that were unredacted ░░░░░░░░ to be clear he ░░░░░░░░ not shy about expressing ░░░░░░░░ disdain for Fox brass ░░░░░░░░ leadership He made some ░░░░░░░░ crude comments in the ░░░░░░░░ messages And so I ░░░░░░░░ if there are more ░░░░░░░░ perhaps more crude messages ░░░░░░░░ the redacted portions it ░░░░░░░░ clear I think to ░░░░░░░░ leadership people like Rupert ░░░░░░░░ Lachlan Murdoch Suzanne Scott ░░░░░░░░ he believed he was ░░░░░░░░ than the Fox News ░░░░░░░░ And I think that ░░░░░░░░ a cardinal sin in ░░░░░░░░ Murdoch s empire And ░░░░░░░░ ve seen them in ░░░░░░░░ past willing to part ░░░░░░░░ with some of their ░░░░░░░░ personalities Bill O Reilly ░░░░░░░░ Beck Megyn Kelly when ░░░░░░░░ believe that they ve ░░░░░░░░ ascended past Fox News ░░░░░░░░ Fox News needs them ░░░░░░░░ than they need Fox ░░░░░░░░ And really I think ░░░░░░░░ Murdoch has proven that ░░░░░░░░ s not necessarily the ░░░░░░░░ Fox is what convenes ░░░░░░░░ audience not these hosts ░░░░░░░░ Jim according to your ░░░░░░░░ how was the decision ░░░░░░░░ fire Carlson viewed by ░░░░░░░░ Murdochs Is it clear ░░░░░░░░ How was their decision ░░░░░░░░ they certainly were beyond ░░░░░░░░ to do it And ░░░░░░░░ thing I want to ░░░░░░░░ clear is that by ░░░░░░░░ indications the Murdochs over ░░░░░░░░ were souring on their ░░░░░░░░ host I mean your ░░░░░░░░ you ve covered it ░░░░░░░░ Tucker Carlson had a ░░░░░░░░ gift for getting into ░░░░░░░░ dragging the network into ░░░░░░░░ and that seemed to ░░░░░░░░ okay obviously for a ░░░░░░░░ of years They stood ░░░░░░░░ him He was a ░░░░░░░░ ratings driver He was ░░░░░░░░ profit driver But once ░░░░░░░░ starts walking them into ░░░░░░░░ appears to be greater ░░░░░░░░ legal problems you mentioned ░░░░░░░░ other lawsuits that are ░░░░░░░░ there was potentially news ░░░░░░░░ there is news of ░░░░░░░░ potential third lawsuit coming ░░░░░░░░ the pike So this ░░░░░░░░ takes the Murdochs into ░░░░░░░░ far different category in ░░░░░░░░ of dealing with Tucker ░░░░░░░░ and the controversy clearly ░░░░░░░░ not worth it COOPER ░░░░░░░░ Oliver has Carlson commented ░░░░░░░░ it DARCY Carlson has ░░░░░░░░ seen by tabloids in ░░░░░░░░ and he said he ░░░░░░░░ The Daily Mail that ░░░░░░░░ is enjoying retirement kind ░░░░░░░░ joking about that but ░░░░░░░░ hasn t commented in ░░░░░░░░ really substantive way I ░░░░░░░░ it s also noteworthy ░░░░░░░░ that without Carlson in ░░░░░░░░ 8 00 PM hour ░░░░░░░░ at Fox News the ░░░░░░░░ over there are really ░░░░░░░░ Last night in the ░░░░░░░░ advertiser supported or coveted ░░░░░░░░ 54 demo they saw ░░░░░░░░ worst ratings since pre ░░░░░░░░ 11 That s a ░░░░░░░░ staggering drop over at ░░░░░░░░ News The hour before ░░░░░░░░ actually rated higher than ░░░░░░░░ 8 00 PM hour ░░░░░░░░ is something of an ░░░░░░░░ over at Fox something ░░░░░░░░ certainly never happened when ░░░░░░░░ Carlson was in that ░░░░░░░░ And so I think ░░░░░░░░ we re watching this ░░░░░░░░ s really interesting to ░░░░░░░░ the ramifications it is ░░░░░░░░ at Fox and also ░░░░░░░░ the smaller right wing ░░░░░░░░ Newsmax which is seeing ░░░░░░░░ ratings surge And this ░░░░░░░░ of course what led ░░░░░░░░ the initial Dominion debacle ░░░░░░░░ Fox executives saw this ░░░░░░░░ competitor rising and that ░░░░░░░░ when they started to ░░░░░░░░ some of these decisions ░░░░░░░░ led to being sued ░░░░░░░░ by Dominion COOPER Jim ░░░░░░░░ does Carlson I mean ░░░░░░░░ could his texts factor ░░░░░░░░ the separate pending defamation ░░░░░░░░ by Smartmatic against Fox ░░░░░░░░ mean could more information ░░░░░░░░ to light through those ░░░░░░░░ RUTENBERG Well yes Tucker ░░░░░░░░ is not a huge ░░░░░░░░ of that case I ░░░░░░░░ note he wasn t ░░░░░░░░ huge part of the ░░░░░░░░ case In fact when ░░░░░░░░ came to defamatory statements ░░░░░░░░ show was one of ░░░░░░░░ examples but the problem ░░░░░░░░ that these texts were ░░░░░░░░ hot and controversial that ░░░░░░░░ and as Oliver said ░░░░░░░░ some of the unredacted ░░░░░░░░ were already getting them ░░░░░░░░ trouble So he was ░░░░░░░░ set for the lawyers ░░░░░░░░ Dominion helping them show ░░░░░░░░ atmosphere in which people ░░░░░░░░ some of these conspiracies ░░░░░░░░ Carlson talked about doubting ░░░░░░░░ conspiracies in some pretty ░░░░░░░░ terms He spoke about ░░░░░░░░ Powell a lawyer who ░░░░░░░░ driving the conspiracies about ░░░░░░░░ Voting this idea that ░░░░░░░░ machines this false idea ░░░░░░░░ their machines were switching ░░░░░░░░ votes to Biden votes ░░░░░░░░ he sets an atmosphere ░░░░░░░░ is not a major ░░░░░░░░ of that case but ░░░░░░░░ goes back to the ░░░░░░░░ idea here I don ░░░░░░░░ mean that necessarily in ░░░░░░░░ legal sense but in ░░░░░░░░ reputational sense that Tucker ░░░░░░░░ making so much noise ░░░░░░░░ these suits that he ░░░░░░░░ didn t have to ░░░░░░░░ a major part of ░░░░░░░░ Yeah Jim Rutenberg I ░░░░░░░░ appreciate it Oliver Darcy ░░░░░░░░ well.”