Fox News canceled “MediaBuzz,” ending Howard Kurtz’s 12-year tenure as the host of the Sunday morning show focused on media affairs. Kurtz, a veteran journalist, transitioned to a new role as a political media analyst at the network. The cancellation followed public criticism from President Donald Trump, who called for Kurtz’s retirement in May 2025.
The network revealed these programming changes as part of a broader overhaul of its weekend lineup. Fox News introduced “The Sunday Briefing,” a new program hosted by Washington correspondents Jacqui Heinrich and Peter Doocy, which started airing on Sundays at 11 a.m. on September 20, 2025.
In a statement, Kurtz expressed pride in the program’s 12-year run, during which it consistently held the number one spot and developed a loyal audience due to its balanced approach and independent handling of sensitive topics. Kurtz noted that “time marches on.”
The show’s cancellation marked the end of media criticism programming on any major national television news network, following CNN’s cancellation of “Reliable Sources” in 2022. Kurtz previously hosted that CNN program before joining Fox News in July 2013.
President Trump’s criticism of Kurtz occurred in May 2025 on Truth Social after a “MediaBuzz” panel discussion where commentators debated the dismissal of his national security adviser Mike Waltz. Trump suggested it was time for Kurtz to retire, citing the presence of CNN and MSNBC anchors on the show who made negative comments about him, while Kurtz and his panel provided only weak defenses.
Trump further stated that Kurtz’s defense was so inadequate that silence would have been preferable. In response, Kurtz faced accusations of betrayal from Trump loyalists but defended himself on social media, highlighting his 35-year acquaintance with the president and noting that Trump continued to grant him interviews.
Kurtz maintained his critical assessments of the president even after the May incident. In recent months, he criticized Trump’s meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, stating that little was accomplished during their encounter.
Kurtz’s career at Fox News began in 2013 after leaving CNN amid controversy. His departure from CNN followed his dismissal from The Daily Beast, where he was a columnist and Washington bureau chief after leaving The Washington Post in 2010. The decision followed Kurtz’s publication of an inaccurate blog post about NBA player Jason Collins, incorrectly stating that Collins did not disclose a previous engagement to a woman.
Kurtz encountered several notable errors during his media criticism career. In 2010, he erroneously claimed to have interviewed Rep. Darrell Issa, when he had actually interviewed a spokesperson, taking three months to correct the mistake. In 2011, he misattributed a comment to House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi. In 2013, he incorrectly described Fox News host Greta Van Susteren as joking about Hillary Clinton’s “immaculate concussion,” when it was actually conservative radio host Laura Ingraham who used the phrase.
As part of the weekend programming adjustments, former White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany is now hosting “Saturday in America” from 10 a.m. to noon on Saturdays. Fox also confirmed Griff Jenkins as a permanent co-host of “Fox & Friends Weekend” and announced Johnny Joey Jones and Tomi Lahren as permanent co-hosts of “The Big Weekend Show,” which has expanded to three hours on Saturday and Sunday from 5-8 p.m.
Kurtz continues to host the Media Buzzmeter podcast and contribute to Fox News Digital in his new analyst role. The 72-year-old journalist spent 29 years at The Washington Post before transitioning to television, becoming a prominent media critic in the industry. He holds a degree from Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism and is the author of six books, including the New York Times bestseller “Spin Cycle.”
On October 16, 2025, Kurtz published an opinion column titled “Why Trump, rightly praised for the Gaza cease-fire, acts so differently at home,” contrasting President Donald Trump’s conduct abroad with his domestic policies. Kurtz argued that Trump “continues to be hailed as a global peacemaker” for helping broker a cease-fire between Hamas and Israeli forces, yet “came home… [and] cut or froze almost $28 billion for projects largely based in Democratic-led cities and states.”
The column questioned why “the man capable of such steely leadership abroad” remains “such a divisive figure at home,” framing the president’s approach as an intentional strategy to consolidate his political standing. Kurtz concluded that Trump “fervently believes that keeping an iron grip on his MAGA base is how he got elected and crucial to his political health,” suggesting that the president’s domestic tactics are rooted in his desire to maintain loyalty among his most committed supporters.
