Controversial 75-year-old founder Fox News CEO and Chairman Roger Ailes was forced out of after former anchor Gretchen Carlson filed a wrongful termination suit July 6 alleging sexual harassment. While Ailes denied the charges, Fox News darling Megyn Kelly also told Fox investigators July 19 that Ailes made sexual advances toward her some 10 years ago when she was coming up the ranks. New details of Ailes severance arrangement puts his payoff at about $60 million, a drop in the bucket to billionaire 21st Century Fox Chairman Rupert Murdoch, reportedly worth 12.7 billion, according to Forbes Magazine. Ailes ouster stunned the media industry, believing he had the 100% backing of Rupert and his two sons, James and Lachlan. Ailes helped fulfill Rupert’s dream of creating a conservative cable news channel in Oct. 7, 1996, promptly becoming the GOP’s voice on the airwaves.
Competing with Ted Turner’s CNN, Ailes promptly won the Nielsen ratings war, blowing by his liberal competitors with such early on-air talent as Geraldo Rivera and Bill O’Reilly, both joining Fox News Channel Oct. 7, 1996 on opening day. Ailes has radar for recognizing talent, also discovering Sean Hannity, another one of Fox News Channel’s top rated talents. Breaking new ground, Ailes poached Gretchen Carlson in 2006 from CBS, putting her as co-anchor of Fox & Friends, developing a bevy of beauties that would come to set a new standard for cable news, followed quickly by CNN. Carlson contends she was fired by Ailes in 2013, after enduring 11 years of sexual advances. When Gretchen filed her wrongful termination and sexual harassment suit July 6, Ailes went into damage control mode, denying all of Carlson’s claims as pure retaliation for her past termination.
Before Carlson filed her suit July 6, Ailes was on thin ice, going overboard instructing Fox News Host Megyn Kelly to sabotage GOP 2016 nominee Donald Trump at the first Fox News Debate Aug. 6, 2015. Out of the gate, Kelly blindsided Trump alleging misogyny, prompting Trump’s sharp reply. When the dust settled, Trump got the better of Kelly and Fox News, prompting Ailes to defend his host, warning Trump not to mess with Fox News. “We can resolve this now” or “we can go to war,” said Ailes, defending Kelly after Trump accused Kelly and Fox News of a cheap shot at the debate. Blindsiding Trump at the first debate showed the power Ailes wielded in GOP circles, certainly the Republican National Committee whose marching orders were push more conservative candidates like, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tx.) or, at the time, GOP front-runner former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush.
Consolidating more power during the years of president George W. Bush, Ailes thought he could pick the GOP’s presidential nominee, going head-to-head with Trump. Ailes ongoing temper tantrum after Aug. 6, 2015 GOP debate began hurting Fox News credibility. When he threatened to “go to war” against Trump, it was clear Ailes was no longer in control of himself. Ailes ran the Fox News Channel, like he did when he worked as a propagandist for President Richard Nixon or President George W. Bush. By the time Sept. 11 rolled around, Ailes was deeply entrenched at Fox News Channel, running it like the media wing of the Republican Party. For two years, Ailes orchestrated the 24/7 saturation on Fox News by Bush-43 officials to hype Saddam Hussein’s weapons of mass destruction. By the time the Iraq War started March 20, 2003, 60% of America believed Saddam caused Sept. 11.
Carlson’s complaints expose the dirty little secret of Ailes’s hidden obsession with his bevy of sexy news anchors. However Ailes ogled Carlson or Kelly, it paled in comparison to pretending the Fox News Channel was a “fair-and-balanced” new network. While gladly exploited by Bush-43 officials, Ailes used Sept. 11 to greatly expand the Fox News audience, consumed with U.S. national security. Ailes might have weathered the current storm had Megyn Kelly not corroborated Carlson’s complaint. Ailes “made unwanted sexual advances,” said Megyn, early on in her career at Fox News. Ailes has reportedly until Aug. 1 to resign or face termination. Whatever went haywire with Ailes, he’s still left Fox News with almost double the revenue of CNN at $2.5 billion to CNN’s $1.4 billion. Even with Ailes departure, Fox News has the ratings edge on CNN for the foreseeable future.
Forced out because of sexual harassment allegations, Ailes leaves Fox News Channel a disgrace. When he confronted Trump last Fall, it was clear Ailes no longer had the savvy and common sense to lead Fox News. Trump’s decision to boycott the Jan 29 Fox News debate before the Iowa Caucus showed that Ailes mishandled the situation, costing Fox millions in ad revenue. Carlson showed Ailes he was too big for his britches when she filed her wrongful termination and sexual harassment suit July 6. Once a towering figure in cable news, Ailes leaves the business disgraced, despite his denials. New York Post editor Jesse Angelo, who has close relationships with Rupert’s sons, is the front-runner to replace Ailes. When the dust settles after Ailes’ departure, it would surprise no one to learn he has some cognitive challenges. Sexually harassing female news anchors was bound to backfire.
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