Fox News founder and CEO Roger Ailes was confirmed to be leaving the network on Thursday by parent company 21st Century Fox, although he may soon have another gig lined up.
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Rupert Murdoch will be taking over as Chairman and acting CEO of both Fox News Channel and Fox Business Network.
Murdoch on Thursday addressed the exit agreement in a statement where he expressed Ailes’ “remarkable contribution to our company and our country”.
Gretchen Carlson, the former news reader at Fox had alleged that Ailes had hounded him out of the company after she refused to entertain his sexual advances.
Documentary filmmaker Robert Greenwald, who made 2004’s “Outfoxed: Rupert Murdoch’s War on Journalism”, said he hopes the younger Murdochs will take this moment to change the network’s philosophy.
But her silence after many of her other colleagues spoke out in support of Ailes after Carlson’s lawsuit was filed became conspicuous.
July 9: NY magazine publishes allegations of sexual misconduct by Ailes from six other women, two of whom speak on the record. Lachlan and James serve as News Corp.co-chairman and CEO of 21st Century Fox, respectively, and they have little affection for Ailes, who treated them with contempt earlier in their careers. “To lead a flourishing news channel, and to build Fox Business, Roger has defied the odds…I am personally committed to ensuring that Fox News remains a distinctive, powerful voice”. The only issue with this approach is that it ignores the women who accused Ailes of sexual harassment, but that’s really only a problem if you care about, you know, people, a liability in the world of huge corporate scandals.
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The move represents tremendous turmoil at Fox, built by Mr Ailes and Mr Murdoch two decades ago into the leading cable news channel, drawing praise especially from conservatives and criticism from the political left. “They clearly don’t have an immediate successor, and Ailes’ lieutenants are loyal to Roger so they will have to be carefully evaluated”. Kelly is a rising star at Fox News and her contract expires in the middle of next year. While the elder Murdoch has long backed Ailes and his agenda-driven news, his sons have had a cooler relationship with the brash executive. I am confident that everyone at Fox News and Fox Business will continue as the standard setters that they are, and that the businesses are well positioned for even greater success in the future.
