Since Fox News’ shockingly unwise decision to part ways with Tucker Carlson the network’s viewers have been up in arms.
With ratings down across the network many have been left to wonder how the once most watched network in cable news could right the ship.
But now Fox News is a total dumpster fire after yet another host was just yanked off-air in the wake of Tucker Carlson’s firing.
Over the past few years, Tucker Carlson Tonight has been the most watched primetime show in cable news.
However, while the Tucker Carlson-led show anchored Fox News’ primetime lineup and pulled in ratings that were the envy of the media industry, it often wasn’t the most watched show in all of cable news programming.
In fact, there were often times when Tucker Carlson Tonight wasn’t even the most watched show on Fox News.
Those distinctions have often gone to Fox News’ The Five, which ended 2022 as the most watched non-sports cable program in the nation – in the three full months Carlson was on air, The Five pulled the most viewers twice, while Tucker Carlson Tonight accomplished the same feat once.
Despite not airing in a coveted primetime time slot, the rotating panel has generated enough interest and goodwill with its audience that even as every other Fox News show has seen its ratings significantly decline in the wake of Carlson’s firing, The Five has managed to maintain the bulk of its audience, posting a strong 2.7 million viewers on average over the past few weeks.
But the fact that the show has now become the lone bright spot in a Fox News lineup that seems destined for a major shakeup beyond Carlson’s ouster has apparently not stopped Fox Corporation Chairman Rupert Murdoch and Fox News Chairman Lachlan Murdoch from continuing their firing rampage.
Now, one of The Five’s rotating left-wing panelists, Geraldo Riveria, has taken to Twitter to announce that he was “canceled” from appearing on the popular program this past week.
“My appearances today and tomorrow on The Five have been canceled,” Riviera wrote. “I’m sure there’s a good reason. Never fear, I’ll be back week after next. Stay safe and happy. Thanks.”
Once the host posted the tweet, speculation ran rampant over what may have caused one of the panelists on the most popular show in all of cable news to be sidelined.
One theory centered around the fact that Riviera chose to dance on Carlson’s grave in the immediate aftermath of his firing.
“I don’t wish ill on anybody, but there is no doubt-as I said at the time-Tucker Carlson’s perverse January 6 conspiracy theory was ‘bulls**t,’” Riviera claimed in a since deleted tweet. “Having lost the election President Trump incited an insurrection that sought to undermine our Constitutional process.”
His Five co-host, Greg Gutfeld, put it best when he responded to Riviera on-air by saying, “You’re a class act Geraldo. A real man of the people.”
Nevertheless, considering the fact that The Five was already the most watched show in cable news, and has weathered the storm that followed Carlson’s ouster better than any other Fox News program, it’s entirely possible that Riviera’s comments did contribute to his benching.
The last thing Fox News needs right now is for a part-time panelist on the only show its most loyal viewer base is turning into at the moment to give them any reason to watch something else.
Ultimately, while the Murdochs may still pretend that this is all temporary, and that viewers will eventually come back because they have nowhere else to go, reality is starting to set in at Fox.
And without Tucker Carlson coming back to save the network, Fox News is now becoming a total dumpster fire.
Political Animal News will keep you up-to-date on any new developments in this ongoing story.
