by Thinus Ferreira
Fox News (StarSat 261) on Monday abruptly fired host Tucker Carlson (53) who was blindsided that he was getting axed from the rightwing American TV channel.
According to American media reports, Fox Corp. chairman Rupert Murdoch decided to fire Tucker Carlson, who made the decision together with his son, Lachlan Murdoch who is Fox Corp. executive chairman, and Suzanne Scott who is Fox News Media chief executive.
"Fox News Media and Tucker Carlson have agreed to part ways. We thank him for his service to the network as a host and prior to that as a contributor," Fox News said in a terse statement on late on Monday afternoon.
Tucker Carlson's senior executive producer Justin Wells was also fired on Monday.
Tucker Carlson who was a contributor on Fox News became a daily host in 2016.
Fox News fired Tucker Carlson due to the discrimination lawsuit brought against Fox News by the fired producer Abby Grossberg. Abby Grossberg who was the former head of booking, alleges that she was bullied and subjected to rampant antisemitic and sexist comments, as well as vulgar comments to describe women, while working at Tucker Carlson Tonight.
A shocked Tucker Carlson wasn't given any reason why Fox News fired him.
Producers and other insiders who spoke with various American newspapers said that they were relieved and happy that Tucker Carlson got fired and are hoping for a corporate culture change inside Fox News. They were also blindsided by Tucker Carlson's firing.
The Wall Street Journal reports that Tucker Carlson angered Fox News bosses and the Murdochs when his private messages were revealed in which he criticised them and Fox News bosses. They discovered that he disliked them and their decisions, in sentences using profane and derogatory language.
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