CNN and Fox Business have finally found something they fundamentally agree on: Not putting veteran broadcaster/anti-immigration blowhard Lou Dobbs on TV anymore. Per The L.A. Times, the Fox Corporation network (which the Murdoch family retained, along with Fox News, after selling most of Fox’s assets off to Disney a few years back) has abruptly canceled Dobbs’ regular nightly show Lou Dobbs Tonight, with a new set of hosts expected to begin hosting the hour next week. This comes just a day after voting machine company Smartmatic filed a $2.7 billion defamation suit against the network over comments made by Dobbs, a tireless advocate for being loud and incorrect about election fraud during the aftermath of the 2020 presidential race.
But lest you think the network is merely cowing to legal pressures, rest-assured: Fox Business canceled its most highly-rated show because it wanted to, as part of a regularly scheduled decision to, uh, lower ratings? “As we said in October, Fox News Media regularly considers programming changes and plans have been in place to launch new formats as appropriate post-election, including on Fox Business,” a representative for the company said tonight. (They also discount Smartmatic’s lawsuit, which also targets Maria Bartiromo and Jeanine Pirro over “claims that the hosts perpetuated lies and disinformation about Smartmatic’s role in the election, damaging its business and reputation.”)
Dobbs joined Fox Business back in 2011, after getting kicked off CNN in 2009 after nearly 30 years there, for promoting such an exciting grab-bag of shit takes as the “birther” conspiracy theory, as well as his long-held anti-immigration views. His former colleagues, reporting on tonight’s news, noted that while Dobbs’ show was highly rated over at Fox Business, it was also something of a “loss leader,” because of the dwindling number of companies who want their products advertised next to Lou Dobbs’ face.
Dobbs is reportedly being kept on contract at Fox Business, but isn’t expected to return to the air. His show was hosted, in its final installment tonight, by David Asman in a substitute role.