The controversy surrounding Fox News has been the biggest management test thus far for James and Lachlan Murdoch, who were elevated in the 21st Century Fox media empire a year ago.
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The Ailes ouster story took a confusing turn Tuesday afternoon when The Drudge Report first published an agreement indicating that Ailes would walk away with million and then pulled the supposed agreement. But the tweet was nearly immediately taken down.
A lawyer for Mr Ailes, Susan Estrich, denied those claims in a statement on Tuesday.
“Roger had never seen that term sheet”, she said. She added that there are “lots of proposals and ideas going around”. The author said recently that she has heard about allegations against Ailes in the past, even as some of the network’s biggest stars were defending the embattled media executive. 21st Century Fox has said only that the investigation is ongoing.
In the weeks since Carlson leveled allegations against Ailes, media reporters have tried to imagine the network’s future without its founding CEO.
“We are supportive and sympathetic to anyone who comes forward to report unwanted sexual advances or other types of harassment in the workplace”, Gretchen Carlson, 50, and her lawyer Nancy Erika Smith, said via their rep Allan Ripp, tell HollywoodLife.com EXCLUSIVELY. Doocy is not named as a defendant in the lawsuit.
Through his representatives, he vigorously denied accusations that he sexually harassed Fox News employees, including prime time anchor Megyn Kelly. It’s refreshing news that the exec will no longer run Fox News, but the fact that he’ll be payed to leave taints the bit of progress achieved. However, Ailes continues to maintain that the allegations are false.
The cable network programming unit, of which Fox News is part, contributed segment operating income – before depreciation and amortization – of $4.64 billion for the year ended June 2015.
The Daily Mail’s report said Ailes was sporting a smile as he left the networks headquarters in New York Tuesday, “as he is reportedly in discussions to leave the company”.
The fast-moving developments – and the ensuing panic within the network – are happening while Kelly and many of Fox’s other journalists are in Cleveland for the Republican National Convention.
Ailes, meanwhile, is making it clear he has no intention of avoiding the controversy created by the sexual harassment lawsuit.
Rupert Murdoch and sons Lachlan and James, co-chairmen and CEO of parent company 21st Century Fox are reported to have discussed the departure of 76-year-old Ailes from Fox News. Under his guidance, Fox News grew into a pugnacious and popular news and opinion source, far surpassing the pioneering and more centrist CNN in ratings and profits.
On Monday, New York Magazine reported that Murdoch and sons Lachlan and James decided that Ailes would need to go.
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“Kelly’s refusal to join in Ailes’ orchestrated defense has led to speculation about why”, the report said on Tuesday.
