Fox News, still down in the ratings following the dismissal of Tucker Carlson, is giving more visibility to one of its leading conservative voices who has decided to stick by the once-conservative network as part of its new weekend lineup.
On Wednesday, Fox publicists announced a change to weekend programming that will see Mark Levin promoted to Saturdays at the prime 8 p.m. spot, doubling his coverage from the traditional 8 p.m. slot on Sunday nights. The change, which began last weekend, was championed by Meade Cooper, Fox’s executive vice president of primetime programming.
“Since joining the network in 2017, Mark has provided our audience with thought-provoking analysis on America’s core values and their impact on current events,” Cooper said, adding more changes would be announced at a later date.
“It’s an honor to join the other outstanding hosts on Saturday in bringing the most intelligent, informative and entertaining programming to the nation. Thank you to our loyal audience and Fox News,” Levin said.
The change is expected to boost the sagging ratings for Fox, which in recent months has fallen behind its liberal counterpart MSNBC in some of the primetime slots. Such a development would have been unthinkable in the era of Rupert Murdoch, but under the inauspicious watch of Murdoch and his son Lachlan, the brand has floundered and shed millions of viewers who followed Carlson over to “Tucker on X,” his free social media broadcast which recently beat Fox’s viewership for the first GOP presidential debate.
Levin, a former longtime radio broadcaster, has hosted “Life, Liberty, and Levin” on Fox since 2018, becoming a breakout hit for the network thanks to his trademark tirades about constitutional failings by the Biden administration. Some of his most viral clips include calling for Hillary Clinton to be imprisoned, torching Jack Smith’s criminal prosecution of President Trump, and claiming that the Biden Justice Department is “destroying America.”
Whether Levin will find his lifelong home on Fox or spin off in the style of Carlson remains to be seen. The network has gotten cold feet over the years as its more conservative stars going back to Glenn Beck have pushed the envelope for mainstream media programming. Murdoch, who is no fan of President Trump, became so angry about Carlson’s success that he reportedly banned his news desk talent from mentioning his name on the air.