Cable news has bigger problems than Carlson, Lemon

Cable news consumers who want to see a less polarized landscape got a double dose of good news this week when prominent Fox News and CNN hosts each got on the exit ramp. As is customary when high-profile television talents depart, details from the respective channels were sparse. But there are rhetorical signals to be assessed as Tucker Carlson leaves FNC and Don Lemon gets the gate at CNN.

The Carlson departure is the more shocking of the two. Carlson hosted FNC’s highest rated show and was arguably the channel’s most visible commodity. He was also a major draw for FNC’s streaming service, Fox Nation. Carlson also attracted a younger demographic than all other FNC programs, reaching the 25-54 age group that advertisers prefer. Carlson was the tentpole for FNC’s prime-time lineup, propping up ratings in the middle of the evening and providing a lead-in audience for Sean Hannity, whose viewership could well shrink in Carlson’s absence.

Television executives just don’t casually part ways with ratings generators, which makes this departure quite curious. The speed with which this split happened is also puzzling. There was no inkling that Carlson was exiting when he signed off what was his final show last Friday.

Carlson’s greatest strength was his autonomy in taking on subjects that even other FNC programs shied away from. His pointed observations on the Ukraine-Russia war, the border crisis, the January 6 videotapes, and various culture war topics likely made FNC brass cringe at times. But it was his willingness to cover and opine on such divisive topics that made viewers watch him, including some who were outraged by his viewpoints. It is easy to infer that Carlson’s independent streak likely played a role in his exit.

The question for FNC now is who can fill Carlson’s time slot and deliver over 3 million viewers each night. Media observers wondered the same thing when Bill O’Reilly departed FNC in late 2016, but Carlson quickly absorbed much of O’Reilly’s following and drew his own crowd as well. The switch this time might not be so easy. There is no heir apparent. FNC morning host Brian Kilmeade anchored the Carlson time slot Monday evening, but it is hard to imagine Fox executives pulling Kilmeade permanently out of his successful “Fox and Friends” spot.

The greatest danger for FNC now is that loyal, right-leaning viewers might interpret Carlson’s departure as a sign FNC leadership is changing editorial direction, and perhaps losing its nerve to battle the establishment or take on culture clashes, as Carlson often did. If that happens, FNC will have more problems than just filling a time slot.

Lemon’s departure from CNN is much less significant than Carlson’s exit. Even though Lemon was acting as though he were invulnerable, the ice had been cracking under his feet for some time. CNN did him a favor when it gave him a chance to save his career when it reassigned him from his poorly rated evening show and placed him in the morning. Losing a commentator who couldn’t deliver ratings in the evening or morning hardly hurts CNN in terms of image or revenue.

Beyond the low ratings, Lemon had been making more news than narrating it. A story in Variety magazine revealed Lemon’s problems in working with fellow CNN employees. Lemon drew heat earlier this year for clumsy remarks about Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley’s age. More recently, Lemon had an awkward and racially charged on-air exchange with Vivek Ramaswamy, another GOP presidential candidate.

Looking back, it’s hard to imagine how CNN leaders thought they could rehab Lemon’s sagging image by putting him on a morning show, where he had to share the limelight with co-hosts. Lemon was known as a harsh commentator. A morning show that’s supposed to be focused on news was never going to be a fit. Unlike the Carlson departure, CNN will not see a ratings dip as a result of Lemon’s exit, although CNN’s ratings have been so dismal that it would be difficult to notice anyway. 

The exits of Carlson and Lemon created some temporary media buzz, but the cable news arena is battling bigger problems than the loss of cable personalities. Cord-cutting continues and cable outlets are having trouble adapting to the streaming world. Audiences are increasingly disgruntled with agenda-based news, which has been the focus of cable news for some time. Cable news executives have much more to worry about than a couple of empty anchor chairs.

Jeffrey M. McCall is a media critic and professor of communication at DePauw University. He has worked as a radio news director, a newspaper reporter and as a political media consultant. Follow him on Twitter @Prof_McCall.