Fox News founder Roger Ailes has reportedly resigned as the network’s Chairman over allegations of sexual harassment by a number of female employees.
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The network’s parent company, 21st Century Fox, announced Roger Ailes’ resignation on Thursday.
Ailes will receive about $40 million as part of a settlement agreement, according to two people briefed on the matter, which essentially amounts to the remainder of his existing employment contract through 2018.
The resignation of Roger Ailes marks a swift downfall for Ailes, who advised several US Republican presidents including George Bush and who turned Fox News into the most-watched US cable news channel.
Carlson reacted to the news on Twitter by thanking those who have supported her during the ordeal. However, a report published several days later by NY magazine’s Sherman detailed statements from six other women who said they were also sexually harassed by Ailes.
Her lawyer, Nancy Erika Smith of Smith Mullin in Montclair, New Jersey, hailed the news of Ailes’ departure.
Meanwhile, Ailes, 76 and the network’s CEO since 1996, said in a communique sent to channel WNBC that Fox had become the No. 1 television network “because I consistently identified and promoted the most talented men and women in television, and they performed at the highest levels”.
The New York Times reported on Wednesday that at least six other women told the lawyers conducting the internal review that he had behaved inappropriately toward them.
In a letter to Murdoch, he initially said “I am proud of our accomplishments and look forward to continuing to work with you as a consultant in building 21st Century Fox”.
Ailes groomed no obvious successors, and has been so identified with the brand that many have a hard time envisioning the network without him. 21st Century Fox CEO James Murdoch, the elder son of Murdoch, is pushing the whole company to step up its game in digital distribution and advertising technology.
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.
Insiders have speculated that Ailes could jump to a rival channel or join a political campaign. “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.
With the change, Rupert Murdoch returns to a bigger role a year after handing over more control of operations to his two sons.
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Ailes may also have more to say. 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.
