SUCCESSION IN REAL LIFE: Tucker Carlson, Dominion and the end of Murdoch Fox News as we know it
NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: Sources have claimed that the Murdoch family is being torn apart from within due to a power struggle over the future of Fox News, especially after the network parted ways with Tucker Carlson and settled a defamation suit for a staggering $787 million.
Insiders claim two of billionaire media mogul Rupert Murdoch's children, James and Elisabeth, have told their dad in private that the family should let go of their prized news outlet. James and Elisabeth are said to hold liberal political views and were apparently "embarrassed" by the eye-popping $787 million settlement with Dominion Voting Systems after Fox News aired election fraud claims about the firm.
READ MORE
Internal tension
“Put simply, they don’t want to inherit a conservative media empire — and certainly not one mired in scandal,” one source with knowledge told Radar Online. There is a dramatic power struggle among the Murdoch children who control the future of the family-run media empire. James -- who notably resigned from the board of News Corp in August 2020 over editorial “disagreements" -- was long considered the only dissenting voice among the children. However, as noted by Radar, the alleged move of his sister Elisabeth against Fox News "is significant and indicates the internal tension amongst the brood."
James vs Lachlan Murdoch
A recent Vanity Fair profile about the family claimed James was “horrified by Fox News and tells people the network’s embrace of climate denialism, white nationalism, and stolen election conspiracies is a menace to American democracy.” He is apparently blaming his brother Lachlan -- the executive chairman and chief executive officer of Fox Corporation -- for the drama surrounding Fox News. “It happened on Lachlan’s watch,” a source told Radar Online.
In order to sell Fox News, either the entire family would need to be in agreement or James would have to stage a coup against his brother Lachlan, with whom he is said to have cut ties completely. If James plans on turning against his brother, he would need to win the support of sisters Elisabeth and Prudence. “James was considered a lone wolf until recently,” an insider told Radar Online. “Elisabeth’s shifting position is a major win. Prudence remains the big unknown. Whether James’ push ever materializes remains to be seen. But make no mistake, the fact that a sale of Fox News — Rupert’s crown jewel — is even being discussed or has edged closer is momentous.”
Rupert and Lachlan were reportedly having a deep discussion about staving off the "suddenly rogue family members" until late last week in Washington, DC. The father-son duo did not leave the Beltway until last Thursday, April 20, nearly two days after they agreed to the Dominion settlement. Both had reportedly remained in the area as they were expected to testify in the Wilmington, Delaware, court which was scheduled to hear the case before it settled on Tuesday, April 18. Rupert eventually flew back to Teterboro Airport on Thursday afternoon while Lachlan returned to Los Angeles.
'One last act'
An insider told Radar Online that both Rupert and Lachlan are in staunch agreement they should not dump Fox News. “Rupert has been telling people he had one last act left in him,” the source said. “He wanted to build Fox News into an even bigger force than it is. A global conservative news network, pulling in his assets in the United Kingdom, and Australia. A worldwide Fox News. He also wanted to combine his television and print assets into one. That was scuttled." The insider added, “For the first time, Rupert is now facing resistance at every turn — including from within his own family.”