When Gretchen Carlson filed her sexual harassment lawsuit against Roger Ailes on July 6, the explosive allegations surely did not surprise Megyn Kelly.
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According to the suit, Carlson met with Ailes to discuss discriminatory behavior by Steve Doocy, a co-host with Carlson on Fox & Friends.
Kelly, a prime-time anchor, remained silent.
21st Century Fox is apparently waiving Ailes-related NDAs for former employees who would speak out otherwise, reports NY, and Paul, Weiss lawyers are actively hoping to talk to them. Ailes needs to quit by August 1 or will be fired, according to NY. On Wednesday Breitbart News reported that over 50 on-air personalities will walkk if Ailes is forced out but one Fox source told the New York Magazine that there is no internal chatter about a mass exodus and story is “made up”. Mr Murdoch, executive chairman of 21st Century Fox, the channel’s parent company, and Lachlan, his older son and co-chairman, would prefer to wait until after this week’s Republican convention, two people briefed on the matter told the Financial Times.
In a statement, 21st Century Fox said that Ailes, 76, is now still an employee. “The review is ongoing”, the Fox statement said. Now the only agreement that they have in place with the man is the existing employment agreement between himself and the company.
The company did not address any negotiations. Fox News is the nation’s most-watched cable news network, and has tremendous influence among American conservatives in particular.
The sides were negotiating terms Tuesday that could include Ailes’ staying in a consulting role. “Rupert is due back in town [New York] next week”.
21 Century Fox, meanwhile, issued a statement batting down reports-stoked by a headline in The Drudge Report-that Ailes is abruptly leaving the cable network with a $40 million parachute.
Drudge, a widely-read conservative news site, also shared what appeared to be a unsigned separation agreement. It was quickly taken down. In the statement, she said that Ailes “has spent much of the last decade promoting and helping her to achieve the stardom she earned”.
Fox News will die on August 1. Overall net operating revenue will be $2.5 billion in 2016.
What becomes of Fox News should Ailes leave?
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His attorney, Susan Estrich, and a spokesperson for 21st Century Fox said Ailes was still a Fox News employee as of late Tuesday. Ailes was only a few months from the end of his current contract and probably could have retired if the Murdochs had not pressed for his early exit. The document, whose authenticity has not yet been verified, also shows that, until mid-2017, the person to whom the document refers “will provide advice and services as requested by KRM, Executive Chairman of 21CF, and continue to act in the Company’s best interests”.
