The announcement came 15 days after Ailes was sued by former anchor Gretchen Carlson for sexual harassment.
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Nevertheless, he included: “I WOn’t let my existence to be a distraction in the work that must be done daily to ensure that Fox News and Fox Business continue to direct our business”.
Australian media mogul Rupert Murdoch, the company’s executive chairman, will run Fox News and its sister Fox Business Network, which Ailes also led, until a successor can be found.
Ailes has denied the charges and sought to bring the suit under arbitration. If Ailes thought that Fox News could stoke Americans’ reflexive disbelief of victims indefinitely, he made a bad bet. But Murdoch’s sons who have negotiating closely with Ailes’ lawers for his departure – Lachlan Murdoch, 21st Century Fox’s co-executive chairman, and James Murdoch, the company’s CEO – jointly issued a statement that said they continue their “commitment to maintaining a work environment based on trust and respect”. Cavuto joins a number of female Fox News on-air personalities including Martha MacCallum, Sandra Smith, Greta Van Susteren and Maria Bartiromo who publicly push back against Carlson’s allegations.
Ailes, chairman and CEO of Fox News Channel and Fox Business Network, and Chairman of Fox Television Stations, has resigned from his role with immediate effect, according to a statement from 21st Century Fox, the parent of the news network.
Carlson’s lawyers declared victory over Ailes stating, “Within just two weeks of her filing a lawsuit against Roger Ailes, Gretchen Carlson’s extraordinary courage has caused a seismic shift in the media world”.
July 9: NY magazine publishes allegations of sexual misconduct by Ailes from six other women, two of whom speak on the record. Fox News has a relatively old audience – most of its prime-time viewers are over 65 years old.
Mr Murdoch paid tribute to Ailes as 21st Century Fox confirmed his departure.
“Despite its “Fair and Balanced” slogan, Fox News under Ailes’ leadership has embraced its role as the communications arm of the Republican Party”, said Eric Hananoki and Ben Dimiero in a column for the watchdog group Media Matters for America.
The channel has been criticized by many media watchdogs who say it has lowered the political discourse in the country and been tied too closely to the Republican party. 21st Century Fox CEO James Murdoch, a son of Mr. Murdoch, is pushing the whole company to step up its game in digital distribution and advertising technology.
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The Wall Street Journal also said that potential successors to the top job at Fox News include Bill Shine, who is in charge of the network’s non-mews and opinion content, Jay Wallace who overseas news programming and Michael Clemente, the head of specials. And I love him personally.
