Newsmax, a leading conservative news channel, has reportedly pitched a deal to Tucker Carlson where he would be allowed to program the entire channel.
TMZ reported that sources with direct knowledge of Newsmax’s operation said the channel is willing to offer Carlson his own show and also the ability to program the network entirely. “That would be a pretty enticing deal point … in addition to having his own primetime show, Tucker would have a say over what shows lead into and out of his show, which can be key in achieving bigger TV ratings,” TMZ wrote.
TMZ was told, “the network execs have made it clear to people around him, they would basically give him a big say in rebranding their channel.”
After Carlson’s departure from Fox News earlier this week, the legacy media group’s ratings have plummeted, while Newsmax’s have exploded in popularity.
The New York Times reported:
“On Monday evening, Eric Bolling’s 8 p.m. Newsmax program drew 531,000 viewers, according to Nielsen. One week earlier, it had 146,000. On Tuesday, Mr. Bolling’s audience grew to 562,000 viewers, equal to about 80 percent of Anderson Cooper’s CNN viewership that evening. Newsmax’s other prime-time shows also experienced big jumps.”
“On Tuesday, Fox News lost to both CNN and MSNBC in the 8 p.m. hour among adults ages 25 to 54, an exceedingly rare defeat for the network in the key demographic for cable news advertisers.”
