The big TV network shakeups happening before upfronts

It’s gonna be May, which means it’s about to be upfronts season. And for three major networks pitching to advertisers, well, the timing could be better.

Fox, CNN, and NCBUniversal all started the week facing major shakeups. At Fox and CNN, the departures of major talent will likely mean questions about ratings and network direction, while NBCUniversal is navigating the aftermath of losing its CEO due to sexual harassment allegations just as it looks to lock in ad commitments.

For Fox sake: Fox, which will hold its upfront on Monday, May 15, will present to advertisers without prime-time host Tucker Carlson, who left the company abruptly Monday. The surprise exit came just a week after Fox settled a high-stakes defamation lawsuit with Dominion Voting System for $787.5 million—a lawsuit in which some of Carlson’s critical comments about Fox leadership became public. The firing also arrived amid a lawsuit from Carlson’s former head of booking, who has alleged that she was subjected to a hostile work environment, and as Carlson faces criticism for repeatedly asserting a conspiracy theory that a man who was part of the January 6 riots was an FBI informant.

• One question Fox may face is the effect of Carlson’s departure on Fox viewership. Carlson’s show was a ratings juggernaut, although the conservative commentator himself was a magnet for controversy, which sometimes resulted in advertiser pullbacks. (Without Carlson, the network will air Fox News Tonight with different network personalities until a successor is named; it remains to be seen how that replacement series will perform with audiences.)
• When talking to advertisers, Fox has focused on its less controversial programming. In presentations to advertisers in March, the cable network highlighted lifestyle, sports, weather, and entertainment programming available for sponsorship.

CN-end: At CNN, a controversial on-air personality was also shown the door. Don Lemon, a former prime-time host for the cable network who recently moved to co-host a morning program that has been struggling in the ratings. The departure of Lemon—who claimed in a tweeted statement that he was “stunned” by the news—came several months after the host faced criticism for making remarks widely considered to be sexist about women and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, saying that she “isn’t in her prime” in reference to her age; Axios reported that Lemon’s remarks were “making it harder for the network to sell and market CNN’s morning show.”

• Lemon’s abrupt firing marks the latest in a series of shakeups at the cable network, which has overhauled its dayside lineup in an effort to attract audiences while undergoing staff reductions.
• But whether or not Lemon’s departure will give advertisers the green light—or give them further pause—is anybody’s guess.

But wait, there’s more: Disney, which is also undergoing major staff cuts, is expected to say goodbye to FiveThirtyEight founder and ABC News contributor Nate Silver in the latest round of cuts.