In an escalating contractual dispute with its former top host, Tucker Carlson, Fox News has dispatched a cease-and-desist order.
This development comes as Carlson’s new series on Twitter, “Tucker on Twitter,” achieves significant traction with a staggering 169 million views across its first pair of episodes, according to sources in Axios.
The genesis of this intense standoff can be traced back to Carlson’s removal from the Fox network in April.
This came in the wake of the network’s landmark Dominion settlement.
As Carlson now seeks to leverage Twitter as a viable news platform, the outcome of this legal confrontation could have substantial consequences for the conservative media landscape.
This cease-and-desist letter is issued under strict confidentiality, with “NOT FOR PUBLICATION” boldly emphasized at the top.
Fox News, in spite of its litigation with Carlson, continues to compensate him and maintains that the exclusivity clause of his contract, effective until the end of 2024, restricts him to content creation for Fox alone.
In defense, Carlson invokes his First Amendment rights to argue for his right to post on Twitter.
He also alleges substantial contractual violations on Fox’s part.
According to insiders, the inaugural two episodes of “Tucker on Twitter” were monologues delivered directly to the camera.
Going forward, Carlson aims to diversify his content with a range of longer episodes and special guest appearances. Several high-profile names are reported to have been secured for future episodes.
Justin Wells, the executive producer of Carlson’s series, recently revealed via a tweet that the forthcoming episode would feature Carlson’s take on President Donald Trump’s indictment.
Speaking on the matter, Harmeet Dhillon, who along with Bryan Freedman, represents Carlson legally, stated, “Fox News continues to ignore the interests of its viewers, not to mention its shareholder obligations.”
He further added, “Doubling down on the most catastrophic programming decision in the history of the cable news industry, Fox is now demanding that Tucker Carlson be silent until after the 2024 election.”
In a powerful closing statement, Dhillon affirmed, “Tucker will not be silenced by anyone … He is a singularly important voice on matters of public interest in our country, and will remain so.”
