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Tucker Trounces Fox In Favorability Ratings Rout

Tyler Durden's Photo
by Tyler Durden
Friday, May 19, 2023 - 11:20 PM

Tucker Carlson has a 63 point lead in popularity over his former employer, Fox News, according to a new survey from consulting agency Change Research.

Carlson's net favorability among Republicans is currently at +59, while Fox News' is sitting at -4, a difference of 63 points

Carlson and the network parted ways in late April for unknown reasons - with Fox holding the host hostage via his contract that prevents him from appearing on other networks. 

To circumvent this, Carlson announced he'll be featuring his show on Twitter!

"The best you can hope for in the news business at this point is the freedom to tell the fullest truth that you can. But there are always limits. And you know that if you bump up against those limits often enough, you will be fired for it," Carlson said in a video which decried the media for being misleading "in every story that matters every day of the week, every week of the year."

Speaking of Twitter, the Change Research poll also found that Twitter CEO Elon Musk has a net favorability rating of +53 with Republicans, -17 with Independends, and -75 with Democrats (Carlson is at -84 with the latter).

As the Epoch Times notes;

Nicholas Fondacaro, associate editor of the conservative media watchdog NewsBusters, told The Epoch Times that Carlson’s mission, like Musk’s, is about free speech.

“Carlson seemed earnest in his announcement video that he believes Twitter is the last bastion of free speech, likely because Elon Musk has made it clear that ensuring free speech was his priority when purchasing the platform,” he told The Epoch Times. “Musk has, by most accounts, talked the talk and walked the walk.”

Musk clarified in a Twitter post that Carlson had not signed any contract with Twitter to broadcast his show on the platform and that the former Fox host would need to follow the same rules that apply to all Twitter users.

“On this platform, unlike the one-way street of broadcast, people are able to interact, critique and refute whatever is said,” Musk said. “And, of course, anything misleading will get @CommunityNotes.”

“I also want to be clear that we have not signed a deal of any kind whatsoever. Tucker is subject to the same rules & rewards of all content creators,” he continued.

“Rewards means subscriptions and advertising revenue share (coming soon), which is a function of how many people subscribe and the advertising views associated with the content,” Musk continued.

“I hope that many others, particularly from the left, also choose to be content creators on this platform,” the Twitter chief added.

Musk later called on former CNN anchor Don Lemon to do his show on Twitter in what could be seen as an attempt on Musk’s part to encourage a broad array of views on the platform.

“Have you considered doing your show on this platform?” Musk said in a May 10 reply to Lemon’s April 24 post announcing that CNN had fired him. “Maybe worth a try. Audience is much bigger.”

Don Lemon (L) at the 2023 Center Dinner at Cipriani Wall Street in N.Y.C., on April 13, 2023. (Cindy Ord/Getty Images); Elon Musk (R) smiles at the E3 gaming convention in Los Angeles, Calif., on June 13, 2019. (Mike Blake/Reuters)

Ratings Shakeup

After Carlson’s exit, Fox News’ 8 p.m. hour suffered a dip in ratings after creating a replacement program for Carlson’s show called “Fox News Tonight.”

Other Fox primetime shows, including the 9 p.m. one currently held by Sean Hannity and Laura Ingraham’s programs, have also seen their ratings drop.

“Fox News Tonight” drew 1.3 million total viewers and 136,000 demographic viewers, according to Nielsen ratings.

In March, Carlson averaged more than 3 million viewers each night. Part of Carlson’s popularity, especially among conservatives, was likely bolstered by his coverage of never-before-seen footage from the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol breach that he said challenged mainstream narratives that the incident was a “violent insurrection.”

Fox said that the newly minted show, which the network said was temporary, features a rotating cast of hosts.

Last week, Trump-era press secretary Kayleigh McEnany hosted the show, and this week, Fox’s Will Cain has had the hosting duties.

“No decision has been made on a new primetime line-up and there are multiple scenarios under consideration,” a Fox News spokesperson told The Epoch Times on Wednesday.

Jack Phillips and Jackson Richman contributed to this report.

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