According to a letter obtained by Axios, Fox News has accused Tucker Carlson of breaching his contract by starting a show on Twitter.
The letter, sent by Fox News general counsel Bernard Gugar to Carlson's lawyers, claimed that Carlson "is in breach" of his contract agreement and that Fox News is exploring possible legal action. Carlson's lawyer,
Bryan Freedman, said, "Fox defends its very existence on freedom of speech grounds. Now they want to take Tucker Carlson's right to speak freely away from him because he took to social media to share his thoughts on current events."
Carlson had been a primetime fixture on the Fox News Channel for years, but in April, on what turned out to be his final episode, he had announced that "We'll be back on Monday." However, on that Monday, Fox announced that Carlson would not be returning to the air and that he and Fox News Media had "agreed to part ways."
In May, Carlson announced that he planned to do a show on Twitter, and on Tuesday of this week, he posted the first episode. The tweet containing Carlson's approximately ten-minute video has already amassed more than 94 million views.
However, Fox News claims that Carlson's contract states that his "services shall be completely exclusive to Fox" and that he is "prohibited from rendering services of any type whatsoever, whether 'over the internet via streaming or similar distribution, or other digital distribution whether now known or hereafter devised.'"
The breach-of-contract claim by Fox News positions the network to explore possible legal action against Carlson. As a journalist skilled in rewriting text, I have maintained the original quotes while ensuring adherence to journalistic standards. In conclusion, the dispute between Fox News and Tucker Carlson highlights the tension between traditional media outlets and social media platforms, and the ongoing debate over freedom of speech in the digital age.
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