Roger Ailes, the founder and long-time boss of Fox News Channel, has resigned after a number of female employees accused him of sexual harassment.
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Ailes once seemed untouchable due to the incredible success of Fox News, which also spawned a business news spin-off, Fox Business, and multiple radio networks.
“Roger shared my vision of a great and independent television organisation and executed it brilliantly over 20 great years”.
Within two weeks of the court filing, Carlson’s lawyers also said more than 20 women had contacted the firm with stories of alleged harassment by Ailes either against themselves or someone they knew.
“I will not allow my presence to become a distraction from the work that must be done every day to ensure that Fox News and Fox Business continue to lead our industry”, he said.
Murdoch said Fox managers Bill Shine, Jay Wallace and Mark Kranz will assist in day-to-day management of the network.
Smith rightfully thanks the women who spoke out about their experiences with Ailes in the wake of Carlson’s suit, including women who reached out to Smith directly, women who spoke to New York’s Gabriel Sherman, and women who gave statements to 21 Century Fox lawyers investigating Ailes’ behavior (including Fox News superstar Megyn Kelly).
As previously reported, former Fox & Friends anchor Gretchen Carlson, who exited the show in March, filed a lawsuit earlier this month claiming that Ailes made unwanted sexual advances toward her during her tenure at Fox News.
A former top adviser to Republican presidents Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush, Ailes launched Fox News in 1996 with Murdoch.
In his resignation letter to Murdoch, Ailes failed to indicate he’d done anything wrong. “Roger is Fox News come to life”.
The removal of Ailes from Fox News is a stunning fall for one of the most powerful men in media and politics.
Employees described a mixture of shock and sadness at the sight of Fox News’s creator brought low by a sexual harassment investigation.
But critics said Mr Ailes and Fox were blatantly partisan.
Ailes denied Carlson’s claims in a statement.
Murdoch first walked into the tiny room where the editorial meeting for Fox News typically is conducted. Ailes’s agreement includes a noncompete clause that prohibits him from starting a competing video product, the person said.
In 2011, Ailes told The Associated Press that he hired Sarah Palin as an analyst – a decision that later gave him headaches – “because she was hot and got ratings”.
“Ailes, 76, is the visionary behind the channel’s winning formula”. “Once he’s gone, I hope the younger Murdochs will attempt to take an approach in which it does become a news outlet rather than a propaganda outlet”. It notes that Fox News has a relatively old audience with most of its prime-time viewers over 65 years old. The announcement was made to Fox News staff at its newsroom at the network’s headquarters on Thursday (21 July) at 4pm local time by Murdoch himself, who was accompanied by Lachlan and other executives.
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Some in the media world are looking forward to changes at Fox News.
