Listen Live
Donate
 on air
    Schedule

    KCRW

    Read & Explore

    • News
    • Entertainment
    • Food
    • Culture
    • Events

    Listen

    • Live Radio
    • Music
    • Podcasts
    • Full Schedule

    Information

    • About
    • Careers
    • Help / FAQ
    • Newsletters
    • Contact

    Support

    • Become a Member
    • Become a VIP
    • Ways to Give
    • Shop
    • Member Perks

    Become a Member

    Donate to KCRW to support this cultural hub for music discovery, in-depth journalism, community storytelling, and free events. You'll become a KCRW Member and get a year of exclusive benefits.

    DonateGive Monthly

    Copyright 2026 KCRW. All rights reserved.

    Report a Bug|Privacy Policy|Terms of Service|
    Cookie Policy
    |FCC Public Files|

    Back to Press Play with Madeleine Brand

    Press Play with Madeleine Brand

    From CNN to Fox News, why Tucker Carlson is the most watched conservative pundit in America

    The most powerful voice in consevative America isn’t an elected official. It’s Tucker Carlson — the cornerstone of Fox News’ weeknight opinion block and a fervent defender of being unapologetically white in America.

    • rss
    • Share
    By Madeleine Brand • Jul 20, 2021 • 16m Listen

    The most powerful voice in consevative America isn’t an elected official. It’s Tucker Carlson — the cornerstone of Fox News’ weeknight opinion block and a fervent defender of being unapologetically white in America.

    most-watched primetime cable news program today. Fox also far outpaces its cable rivals CNN and MSNBC. Earlier this month, the only non-Fox cable program in Nielsen’s top 10 lineup was a soccer championship game between Italy and England. More than 3 million viewers tune in every night for Carlso’s take on America’s racial politics, immigration, or conspiracy theories (like federal law enforcement officers orchestrated the January 6 insurrection on the U.S. Capitol).

    So how did Carlson become the pundit of choice for aggrieved right-wingers? And how is he shaping the real decision of millions of Americans, like the potentially life-or-death choice of whether to get vaccinated?

    • https://images.ctfassets.net/2658fe8gbo8o/AvYox6VuEgcxpd20Xo9d3/769bca4fbf97bf022190f4813812c1e2/new-default.jpg?h=250

      Madeleine Brand

      Host, 'Press Play'

    • KCRW placeholder

      Sarah Sweeney

      Vice President of Talk Programming, KCRW

    • KCRW placeholder

      Angie Perrin

      Producer, Press Play

    • KCRW placeholder

      Michell Eloy

      Line Editor, Press Play

    • KCRW placeholder

      Charlotte Alter

      national correspondent for TIME

      NewsNationalPolitics
    Back to Press Play with Madeleine Brand