Since popular host Tucker Carlson was booted from the network, Sean Hannity’s primetime program on Fox News is feeling the pressure.
The audience for Hannity’s show, which peaked at 1.9 million last week, dropped to 1.3 million on Friday. Friday, Hannity’s total viewers decreased by approximately 600,000 to 1.3 million.
“Fox News ratings juggernaut The Five led cable news on Friday and was the only show to score more than 2 million total viewers. The Five won the day with 2.42 million total viewers, while Bret Baier came in second with 1.6 million, and Greg Gutfeld’s late-night show landed third with 1.56 million total viewers. The Five also led in the key 25-54 age demographic, while Baier and Gutfeld swapped second and third place,” Mediaite reported.
“Notably, Newsmax scored another rare win over CNN at 10 p.m. as Greg Kelly just topped Who’s Talking To Chris Wallace? — with 283,000 viewers compared to 224,000. Wallace did still top Kelly in the demo,” the outlet added.
Hannity stated earlier this month that he was “stunned” to discover the network had parted ways with Carlson.
Hannity, whose 9 PM ET program on Fox News promptly follows Carlson’s now-former time slot, admitted on his radio program “The Sean Hannity Show” that he was unaware of Carlson’s departure.
“It’s very hard,” Hannity said. “My phone has been blowing up. The hard part for me is I don’t have a clue … I have no idea. Was it Tucker’s decision? Was it Fox’s? Was it a mutual agreement that they had? I don’t know. I guess people think that because I’ve been there the longest I’d have some knowledge or understanding of what’s going on, but… I just don’t.
Fox News denied allegations that host Laura Ingraham has been fired from the network, excluding Carlson and Hannity.
Fox News issued a statement condemning “left-wing activists” who claimed on Twitter that the network intended to fire longtime host Laura Ingraham.
“Reports based on various tweets by left-wing activists are wildly inaccurate – Laura Ingraham, the top-rated woman in cable news, is now and will continue to be a prominent host and integral part of the Fox News lineup,” Fox News said in a statement, via Mediaite.
Following Carlson’s departure from the network, news aggregator Matt Drudge revealed that Fox News will undergo a major shakeup, sparking speculations about Ingraham.
Drudge reports that the network will move longtime presenter Sean Hannity to the 8 p.m. time slot.
“WORLD EXCLUSIVE: FOXNEWS SETS NEW SCHEDULE” read the headline from Drudge, who noted Hannity’s new time slot as well as reports that both Jesse Watters and Greg Gutfeld would be heading to prime time.
“FOXNEWS is preparing to announce an ambitious new schedule, the DRUDGE REPORT has learned, a schedule where ever hour of primetime will change!” Drudge reported. “TOP SOURCE TELLS DRUDGE: ‘IT’S OUR BOLDEST AND MOST FEARLESS LINE-UP EVER’…”
Fox News issues a statement to Mediaite in response to Drudge’s claim, stating, “No decision has been made on a new primetime lineup, and multiple scenarios are being considered.”
More on this story via Conservative Brief:
SiriusXM host Megyn Kelly made headlines last week when she spoke about the rumored primetime host shuffle on Fox News and said she did not think Hannity was the answer to taking over Carlson’s time slot. CONTINUE READING…
