NewsNation is reportedly interested in hiring both Don Lemon and Tucker Carlson in what they purportedly believe could be a great opportunity for the former CNN and Fox News hosts to join forces and showcase their expertise on the same media network.
According to TMZ insiders, NewsNation, which has been seeing a continual rise in viewership over the past few years, is looking at the possibility of expanding.
Has all of this happened at the perfect time for the news start-up, which just started running 24-hour programming starting this week?
According to TMZ insiders, NewsNation executives believe that having both Tucker and Don on their station would give them a great opportunity to attract viewers from all areas of the political spectrum and cement the network as an ideal hub for news.
And yes, sources insist NewsNation is well aware that Don and Tucker could bring in some problematic baggage with them. Nevertheless, executives are presumably confident that they can manage it.
Imagine Tucker Carlson, at the end of his show, handing off to Don Lemon at the start of his.
Weird.
But, can NewsNation afford both powerbrokers?
Remember Don’s buddy, Chris Cuomo, who was released from CNN a few years ago? He’s with NewsNation now so it’s evident they have some money. And let’s not forget Bill O’Reilly, formerly of Fox, is there as well.
NewsNation is well-funded but we’re talking about Tucker and Don this time. Investing in both would be an extremely pricey venture for any network, which is why it’s unlikely they’d be able to pay either of them as much as they were previously earning. (And in Carlson’s case, probably not remotely close)
Reportedly, Tucker Carlson was getting around $20 million dollars every year at Fox. And according to TMZ’s sources, Don was earning approximately $7 million annually at CNN.
So, where can Don and Tucker still make millions per year?
Lemon could transition to MSNBC and “possibly” get a salary comparable to CNN’s (Although it could be a stretch). As for Carlson, no mainstream network would consider hiring him for free let alone $20 million per year. Of course, there’s always NewsMax – a very conservative news network that’s semi-mainstream. I don’t know what their budget is but assume even 50 percent of Tucker’s salary at Fox ($10 Million) would be quite a heavy lift for them.
Tucker Carlson’s best bet might be to transition to radio a la Rush Limbaugh.
Regardless, there appears to be a certain level of interest in Tucker and Don from NewsNation and it’s believed their executive team is deliberating on a plan to reel them in. And given that NewsNation has studios based in influential cities such as Washington D.C., Chicago, and New York City, it certainly adds to what little leverage they might have in attracting the recently-released big wheels.
But, not so fast… It’s been reported that Don and Tucker have hired the same entertainment attorney, Bryan Freedman, to manage their departures from their respective networks. Before making the transition to a new home, they might have to tie some loose ends with their previous employers first.
NewsNation is available on most multichannel television providers (including cable, satellite, IPTV, and fiber-optic-based services) within the United States. However, the channel continues to have somewhat scattershot coverage (outside of satellite distribution) in portions of the Western United States and much of the New England region.
