TCN. The Tucker Carlson Network. That’s essentially what Newsmax would become if Carlson accepts the unofficial proposal reportedly being offered to him through proxies by CEO Chris Ruddy.
According to TMZ:
Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ … the news channel is doing everything it can to sweeten the deal for Tucker to come on board — including floating the idea of letting him program the whole channel, not just his own show.
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.
While our sources stress Newsmax hasn’t formally offered Tucker a job — he can’t have formal discussions due to his current Fox News contract — we’re told the network execs have made it clear to people around him, they would basically give him a big say in rebranding their channel.
There has been speculation that Carlson’s hands may be tied due to his contract with Fox News. Some have even argued he’s still technically working for them. Neither side is being forthcoming with information, which bodes well for Carlson because if he was being strongarmed it seems likely that information would have leaked.
No news is probably good news for Carlson, though not necessarily for his fans. It’s possible that he took a very lucrative deal to essentially do nothing and get a huge early retirement package.
One luxury he has is time. It’s not like he needs to land somewhere soon in order to remain on top of the show host field. He’s getting more attention now than when he was on the air five nights a week. Elon Musk and Bill Maher are discussing him. Jimmy Kimmel embarrassed himself over him. Most conservative news outlets have posted ongoing articles about him since he was taken off the air.
What do you think? Would having Newsmax essentially run by Tucker Carlson be a good thing? Sound off in the comments.