Conservative host Dan Bongino is parting ways with Fox News after he and the company were unable to come to terms on a new contract. The announcement comes just days after Fox Corp. settled with Dominion Voting Systems for $787.5 million in their defamation suit against the outlet.
Bongino expressed his sadness over the situation on his podcast but notably didn’t trash his former employer. He retweeted a video of the statement to his four million Twitter followers; looking downcast, he said, “It’s a sad day”:
“Folks, regretfully, last week was my last show on Fox News on the Fox News Channel,” Bongino said on his podcast Thursday. “It’s tough. It’s tough to say that. You know, I’ve been there doing hits and working there for ten years…so the show ending was tough. And I want you to know it’s not some big conspiracy. I promise you. There’s no acrimony. This wasn’t some WWE brawl that happened. We just couldn’t come to terms on an extension….
And it’s a sad day. It’s a sad day.
Watch:
BREAKING NEWS DAN BONGINO HAS LEFT FOX NEWS THAT IS SAD HE WAS ONE OF THE ONLY FEW TRUMP SUPPORTERS LEFT ON THERE pic.twitter.com/6R0YkxrEiM
— ???????????????????????? ???????????????????? (@DustinMills24) April 20, 2023
Fox issued its own statement, and like Bongino, expressed no acrimony or hard feelings:
“We thank Dan for his contributions and wish him success in his future endeavors,” they said.
The networks intends to air “Lawrence Jones Cross Country” in place of Bongino’s program Saturday night, while filling 10 p.m. with an encore of the weekday 11 p.m. program “Gutfeld!” Fox News plans to unveil a new schedule in coming weeks.
Bongino joined Fox News as a contributor in 2019 and in 2021 began hosting the Saturday-night program “Unfiltered With Dan Bongino,” which has been a ratings winner for the network. Per Forbes:
Bongino’s show, which aired at 9 p.m. ET on Saturdays, was a ratings success for Fox News, with last Saturday’s episode of Unfiltered—the final episode—drawing 1.179 million viewers. It ranked as the highest-rated show of the day Saturday. For the first quarter of 2023, Unfiltered was the top show in prime time on Saturdays with 1.3 million viewers and 134,000 viewers in the key demographic of viewers 25-54, the group most valued by advertisers.
Fox News has parted ways with Dan Bongino, despite Bongino having the highest rated Saturday show. This tells you everything you need to know about Fox News.
— Pamela Hensley ???????????? (@PamelaHensley22) April 20, 2023
Considering the show’s success, it’s odd that the two parties were not able to come to terms. Was Bongino asking for piles of cash? Was the network lowballing him, or was he given his walking papers as many are speculating?
Conservative commentator Dan Bongino has been fired by Fox News. Now do Tucker, Sean, Laura, Maria, and Jeanine. pic.twitter.com/w4LztLn47d
— Mike Sington (@MikeSington) April 20, 2023
Bongino insists there’s nothing to see here:
“We were the number one show 90% of the time,” Bongino said. “We had a great team.
“You’re going to read a thousand left wing articles about some nonsense, and I’m guaranteeing you on my reputation, it is all made up. It’s a simple contract thing, and that’s it. It is no more complicated than that.”
Coming so soon after the Dominion settlement, some wonder whether Fox is cleaning house. However, Variety reports that “Bongino was not a prominent part of the trial or slated to testify.” The commentator is also pro-Trump—could this be yet another sign that the network has moved on from the former president?
I did not get a chance to catch Bongino’s Saturday night show very often, but I see his clips on Twitter and I hear him on the radio from time to time. He’s a solid conservative voice with strong views, and I enjoyed listening.
So Fox settled with the Dominion thieves and ousted the only adult they had. SMH. Just more proof that I don’t need Fox.