This Tucker Carlson stuff is getting very interesting. Personally, I could care less about the guy since I don't want mainstream media. I can actually say I never saw even a single episode of his show.
That said, the entire incident is fascinating. What I find most intriguing is the fact that we can now see the potential demise of cable news. Why is that?
It appears the power has shifted. This was something that was not possible a decade ago. As we sift through the Carlson affair, let us see what is taking place, highlighting the potential emergence of decentralized broadcasting.
At this moment, from what people are saying, Carlson has not been fired by FoxNews. This means he is still under contract, reported to run into 2025. He is making somewhere around $20 million annually. Essentially, Fox is willing to pay him to sit home.
This is starting rumors of whether Carlson will accept this. It is circulating that is he going to unleash his allies to attack FoxNews. This likely means that he is going to try and get a boycott going. From the figures people are tossing around, it looks like this is already taking place.
In the end, it seems Carlson wants out of his contract. Some might say it is crazy to walk away from $20 million per year, but no worries, he has the money. Plus, as we will see, there is a lot more out there.
So we could have a showdown between Carlson (along with his fans) and a major media conglomerate.
A couple years ago, Joe Rogan made headlines with a $100 million deal with Spotify. That was a landmark deal that really send shockwaves through the entertainment industry. It was, however, a rather unique deal.
Rogan was already the owner of his content from what I understand. He did not take offers on his show, thus retaining the rights. That means when Spotify came knocking, it was a distribution deal that he was able to cash in on.
The point here is Joe Rogan was just a podcaster who amassed an audience. There was no major media company behind him. That said, he was not in the news realm but it did show how someone could operate outside the established media system.
In addition we see other noted news names like Megyn Kelly, Bill O'Reilly, Glenn Beck, and Russell Brand.
Almost all of these people were involved in the mainstream news media.
This, not longer is the case. Like Rogan, they turned to the "alt-media", mostly by starting their own production companies. Many also have shows on Sirius (made famous by Howard Stern).
Could they soon by joined by Carlson?
It seems Carlson will clean up if he is able to take this path. While things are still up in the air, someone made a public offer of over $100 million to him. This is the money that is being tossed around by the independent media (think decentralied).
Since he left, the numbers for FoxNews are in the toilet. CNN let Don Lemon go the same day. When big personalities are removed, the companies need a replacement. For Carlson, it appears those filling in are not cutting it.
If he wasn't fired, it is possible the network brings him back. It would be odd but, the entire situation is that. That said, Carlson might have his sights set on establishing a rival broadcast system. Rumors are him and Elon talked.
Whatever is being planned, we could be at a Rubicon moment. The power could be moving not only from the major media companies to the independents but also the personalities. Professional sports took this turn in many ways with people realizing the talent on the field, court, or ice is what people watched.
My thoughts are we are now seeing a systemic shift in broadcasting. The independent media is decentralized with the ability to create content for a fraction of what it use to cost. At the same time, distribution can happen through many venues. There is Web 2.0 which can promote the episodes. There are also more platforms appearing, especially once Web 3.0 gets geared up.
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