Viewership
Fox News published a press release gloating about how Tucker Carlson Tonight is averaging some 2.8 million viewers in just its first two months – that’s up 23 percent in total viewership for the 7PM time slot. Moreover, according to Nielsen Media Research, Carlson is even snapping more viewers than MSNBC and CNN combined.
No Chance Of Failure
While Fox News had a number of candidates to take over for The O’Reilly Factor, they decided to go with someone familiar, someone in-house. Besides, they don’t let their “talent” fail. Just by selecting insiders over some high-profile outsiders, Fox News instantly reduces any chances that a star won’t “take” with their loyal audience. That same audience, together with the rather consistent Fox formula and promotion, helps to minimize the sense of change for viewers tuning in all the time.