In a statement, Murdoch praised Ailes, 76, and his “remarkable contribution” to the company, without making mention of the sexual harassment scandal that felled him. “Roger shared my vision of a great and independent television organisation and executed it brilliantly over 20 great years”, Rupert Murdoch, who will take over immediately as chairman and acting CEO of Fox News Channel and Fox Business Network, said in a communique. The complaint also alleged that Ailes made inappropriate comments and unwanted sexual advances toward Carlson before ultimately terminating the host without notice on June 23.
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The news comes two weeks after Ailes was named in a lawsuit by the popular Fox News host Gretchen Carlson, who claimed she was sacked for rejecting his sexual advances.
Ailes, who resigned under pressure Thursday amid accusations of sexual harassment, was a strong manager who inspired both loyalty and fear. Fox hired a law firm to investigate, and the probe has revealed a pattern of inappropriate behavior toward female staffers, people familiar with the matter said. FILE – In this March 11, 2014 file photo, News Corp. “I take particular pride in the role that I have played advancing the careers of the many women I have promoted to executive and on-air positions”.
Ailes, a Republican political operative who was the driving force behind the launch of Fox News Channel, had served as CEO since that network’s founding twenty years ago. He will run Fox News and its sister Fox Business Network, which Ailes had also led, until a successor is found.
He was formerly a media consultant for Rudy Giuliani’s mayoral campaign, and also worked with Presidents Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush.
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.
However Ailes has already been removed from the Fox News newsroom and moved to another building owned by the company. Without the outpouring of first-person accounts, Fox could have much more easily characterized Carlson as a disgruntled, dishonest former employee. Fox’s biggest stars, like O’Reilly and Baier, have something called a “key man clause” in their contracts, allowing them to leave the network if a key executive, in this case Ailes, leaves. Fox, like all of the news networks, is riding high in the ratings in an election year but viewership is nearly certain to go down next year and bring new challenges. In addition, the news channel needs to adapt to changing consumption habits, including the move to digital platforms.
Mr Murdoch, executive chairman of 21st Century Fox and a U.S. citizen since 1985, will remain in place until a replacement is found. “If Fox tries to recast itself it is likely to fail”, said Chris Harper, a former ABC News correspondent who is now a journalism professor at Temple University. The New York Times reported on Wednesday that at least six other women told the lawyers that Ailes had behaved inappropriately toward them. But let’s be clear on something: Even here, Fox News is proclaiming their fake populist message in the downfall of their corporate honcho. He would then decide whether a viewer would be interested enough to turn up the volume.
“We’re not going to see any quick changes”, said Ken Doctor, a media consultant for Newsonomics and Politico.
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Mr Murdoch, who cut short a vacation on the French Riviera to return to NY, according to the Guardian newspaper, said he was taking the reins at Fox “to ensure continuity of all that is best about Fox News and what it stands for”.
