I think Fox considered not killing off their viewers, briefly, but quickly decided to keep going as they had. Since Tucker’s been a leading, unwavering voice on Fox with anti-vaccine conspiracy theories, I think that theory is especially untrue in his case. Based on what he’s saying, and especially the timing, suggests instead that he doesn’t want Fox viewers to know the latest news about covid - i.e. about the omicron variant, and how it’s so much more contagious, and how previous infections (which is what Fox has been pushing as the preferred way of gaining any immunity) provide no protection. Fox seems to want its viewers to be caught off guard when the government institutes any more public health measures, making them seem like government over-reach and an infringement on their “freedoms.” Fox has two new outrage machines - “critical race theory” and out-groups (i.e. non- white cishet Christian conservative males) “telling them what to do” about covid and threatening the established order. (The established order being where their group, the white cishet Christian conservative males, tell people what to do, not the other way around.)
Killing people with covid is just an unfortunate side effect, as far as they’re concerned, with radicalizing and firing up their viewing base. It might kill a few percent of viewers, but the rest become more fervent watchers - especially since health problems (including brain damage) are so much more likely than death. After all, an increasing number of people with brain damage can only increase their viewer numbers…
