Greg Gutfeld, a longtime cohost of the popular Fox News program “The Five,” will get his own nightly late night talk show on the channel starting in the spring.
The announcement Wednesday is the latest move by Fox News Media Chief Executive Suzanne Scott, who has been reshaping the conservative-leaning network’s program lineup for the post Donald Trump White House era.
On Monday, Fox News announced former U.S. National Economic Council Director Larry Kudlow will move into the Fox Business Network lineup next week, effectively replacing Lou Dobbs.
Dobbs’ 10-year run at Fox Business ended a day after voting software company Smartmatic filed a $2.7-billion defamation suit against Fox News and three of its hosts — Dobbs, Maria Bartiromo and Jeanine Pirro. The lawsuit claims the hosts perpetuated lies and disinformation about Smartmatic’s role in the election, damaging its business and reputation. Fox has disputed the claims.
Scott received a vote of confidence Tuesday from Fox Corp. Chief Executive Lachlan Murdoch, who praised her on the company’s earnings call and her contract was extended.
Murdoch predicted the Fox News’ ratings dip since the election — about 13% — is a temporary response from its viewers over Trump’s loss to President Joseph R. Biden and that he expects a return to dominance. Fox News was the most-watched cable network in 2020, the best year in its history but has seen viewers tune out after Trump’s election loss to President Biden.
Suzanne Scott, chief executive of Fox News Media.
(Michael Nagle / For The Times)
Scott has made a number of lineup shifts this year, including adding another hour of right-leaning opinion at 7 p.m. Eastern.
Gutfeld is a comedian and bestselling author. He has been a mainstay of “The Five,” developed by Scott in 2007 and a steady ratings performer for the network even in themonths where it faced a downturn. “The Five” averaged 3.7 million viewers in 2020, the third most-watched program in all of cable news, according to Nielsen.
Gutfeld has hosted his own Saturday night program since 2015. This past year it attracted 2.5 million viewers, its best performance yet.
“Every day someone comes up to me to ask when are we going nightly, so now that we are, there will be approximately 3 million people who will claim it’s their idea!” Gutfeld said in a statement.
His new program, which will air at 11 p.m. Eastern, will be an irreverent take on current events that will reflect the host’s libertarian bent. He will be taking on MSNBC’s “The 11th Hour With Brian Williams,” which has taken on a breezier tone in recent months, and the second hour of Don Lemon’s program on CNN.
A native of San Mateo, Gutfeld is a former editor-in-chief of the magazines Men’s Health and Stuff.
The move of Gutfeld to weeknights means “Fox News @ Night,” which has Shannon Bream as anchor, will move from 11 p.m. to midnight and 9 p.m. Pacific.
