Tucker Carlson made the brutally grim prediction that mainstream media and cable news will meet their demise in the next decade.
The ex-Fox News host — who has done well hosting his show on X since leaving the network in 2023 — said in an interview released Monday that the networks will become extinct in the near future.
“There is nothing more superficial, dumber, repetitive and controlled than cable news. I think I can say that with authority,” he told The Chief Nerd on the X Show, citing his decades at MSNBC, CNN and Fox News.
He then made a stunning prediction about the future of mainstream media as it entered a “freer, more open period.”
“The people who work at NBC News won’t have careers in journalism in 10 years,” he said.
He added that the experience has left them “corrupt” and “will not evolve.”
In particular, MSNBC may not look like itself in the coming months, as parent company Comcast appears ready to spin it off and spin off a group of entertainment networks from the NBC brand. CNN has also tried to cut salaries and staff.
Salaries for key talent appear to be undergoing cuts, following the lead of rivals CNN, with Rachel Maddow signing a new deal that will reduce her pay from $30 million a year to $25 million.
Tucker Carlson believes that mainstream media and cable news will meet their demise in the next decade
Carlson relished the idea that the cable networks would soon be gone, saying that for the most part they’re just complaining that the public no longer believes them, which he described as “just dogs barking.”
“I would like to start by saying that there is nothing more corrupt than what we don’t have, so I’m glad it’s going away. They have no credibility, they are corrupt.”
He credited “100%” Elon Musk for creating this change and Joe Rogan for launching “a new kind of podcast” where people could get information.
“If the world were honest, everyone in the media would tip their hat to them,” he said of Rogan.
At MSNBC in particular, everything seems up for grabs, except for Maddow, who an anonymous executive called “ratings Viagra” and regularly draws significantly more viewers than the rest of the network’s primetime lineup.
A source said The ankle boot that the Morning Joe rebrand of making peace with Donald Trump is part of the network having a come-to-Jesus moment that goes too far left during the election.
“We were so Harris propaganda that viewers were shocked when she lost. It turned into one giant circular shock and echo chamber. If MSNBC wants to serve its viewers, they can’t keep them in fantasy land.”
However, keeping liberal star Maddow on the air even one night a week was non-negotiable.
Salaries for key talent appear to be undergoing cuts, following the lead of rivals CNN, with Rachel Maddow signing a new deal that will reduce her salary from $30 million a year to $25 million
Carlson relished the idea that the cable networks would soon be gone, saying that for the most part they’re just complaining that the public no longer believes them, which he described as “just dogs barking.”
‘No one else can do what she does. You can’t build a brand like that overnight.’
Comcast’s move to spin off its NBCUniversal networks would have been a baffling move years ago, as its channel fleet was previously among the company’s most profitable assets.
But the decision means channels like MSNBC, USA, Oxygen, E! and Golf Channel are being spun off into a separate entity – and a separate balance sheet.
Comcast executives said they will not spin off all the channels and will keep Bravo, the Peacock streaming service and the NBC broadcast network under the parent company.
But by shedding its expensive networks, Comcast is hedging its bets that it can expand its movie studios and theme park industries without being dragged down by the problems of traditional television news.
Comcast’s announcement this week is indicative of the significant changes the media industry has faced in recent years, which have also forced a slew of media outlets to downsize their workforces.
CNN is considering making Kaitlan Collins chief White House correspondent, a new report claims.
The possible move – which is reportedly still in “discussions” – comes amid rampant rumors of layoffs at the network to salvage its flagging reputation.
CNN is reportedly considering appointing Kaitlan Collins, 32, as chief White House correspondent, according to two people familiar with the matter. According to them, the conversations are part of a larger plan to overhaul CNN’s political reporting
The architect of the reported shuffle is reportedly CEO Mark Thompson, who was hired late last summer to right a sinking ship following the failures of predecessor Licht, who was fired after less than a year after promising unbiased reporting to send.
The possible commotion was reported on Monday by Semafor. The publication says it has spoken to two people familiar with the matter.
According to them, the conversations are part of a larger plan to overhaul CNN’s political reporting. The shift will reportedly seek to capitalize on the spectacle of Donald Trump’s second presidency, rather than shy away from it.
Collins has emerged as a clear candidate thanks to the connections she made during her days as a White House reporter during Trump’s first term, both sources said.
CNN CEO Mark Thompson has made it clear that the station’s new mission is not to default toward anti-Trump reporting, unlike former CNN President Jeff Zucker.
Replacement Chris Licht attempted the same thing, but was fired in June 2023 after less than a year following a series of layoffs and a failed town hall that happened to be led by Collins.
The latter is seen as one of the main reasons for Licht’s impeachment, as it was widely panned due to Collins’ unfortunate attempts to fact-check the president.
The Ankler reported that officials had considered a pay cut for host Wallace, who made $7 million a year.
Puck was reportedly told by insiders that Wallace was told by CNN brass that his two struggling shows would be canceled and that his salary would bump if he signed on for another year.
Meanwhile, famous faces like Anderson Cooper and Erin Burnett take home annual salaries of $20 million and $6 million respectively, while Collins, despite being a relative newcomer, isn’t far behind.