Murdochs Have Decided to Remove Roger Ailes — the Only Question Now Is When

New York Magazine ^ | July 18, 2016 | Gabriel Sherman

[Coronal]

Roger Ailes's tenure as the head of Fox News may be coming to an end. Rupert Murdoch and sons Lachlan and James — co-chairmen and CEO, respectively, of parent company 21st Century Fox — have settled on removing the 76-year-old executive, say two sources briefed on a sexual-harassment investigation of Ailes being conducted by New York law firm Paul, Weiss. After reviewing the initial findings of the probe, James Murdoch is said to be arguing that Ailes should be presented with a choice this week to resign or face being fired. Lachlan is more aligned with their father, who thinks that no action should be taken until after the GOP convention this week. Another source confirms that all three are in agreement that Ailes needs to go.

[bert]

Although disgruntled and bandwagon riding FReepers like to disparage Fox News, Roger Ailes fair and blanced concept allowed a conservative message to be heard.

Absent Fox News, America would be a socialist state today

Roger Ailes should be praised.

Nay sayers can just go to hell

[PghBaldy]

Ailes’ attorney is Susan Estrich?

[Finalapproach29er]

Murdock’s son is a liberal. He’ll nudge fox to even more to the center.

[Homer1]

Rupert turning things over to his liberal sons has started the decline of Fox. In a few years, it will be indistinguishable from CNN.

[central_va]

have settled on removing the 76-year-old executive, say two sources briefed on a sexual-harassment investigation of Ailes being conducted by New York law firm Paul, Weiss.

This story has been brought to you by the the makers of Viagra™.

[Homer1]

I believe James Murdoch’s wife works for the Clinton foundation...

[TTFlyer]

Fox News Channel has been sick lately. Without Ailes it’s dead.

[Political Junkie Too]

At least Roger Ailes is no Mimi Gerbst from ABC News.

-PJ

[Dawgreg]

I’ve been watching Fox this morning.....and TV is now on Gunsmoke.....it’s the 2:00 hour and light loafers is on...I’ll go back at 3:00. Can’t stand the sight of that self-righteous arse!

[The Westerner]

I bet it's cheaper to “trump” up some charge, then throw a lawsuit for an un-p.c. crime at the executive. Takes out his reputation, undercuts him effectively should he decide to fight back, and saves millions in severance pay. And I agree with Bert that Ailes gave us a news station worth tuning into for years, one where non-p.c. folks got a hearing.

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

Since Gretchen went public, other women are coming forth with stories of sexual harassment by Ailes.

6 More Women Allege That Roger Ailes Sexually Harassed Them

Best to get rid of the cockroaches before they multiply.

[minnesota_bound]

Hmmm. Maybe I was right. Or Roger could be the Bob Barker of Fox News!
Instead of Gretchen Carlson maybe Roger Ailes is involved with Shep....... : )

[minnesota_bound]

#31 Wiki will have to add a page like they have for Bob Barker.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holly_Hallstrom

Hallstrom has never married and has no children, which is why she believes she was the one member of The Price Is Right who could stand up to what she called “miserable tyranny at the hands of a mad dictator” (referring to Barker). During nearly 10 years that her lawsuit was in the courts, she spent all of her resources and savings. At her lowest point during those years, she sold her house and ended up living out of her car. As she said in interviews regarding that period of her life, “I refused to give up and let that evil old bastard win.”

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

Yes, 3 o’clock in Texas is Your World with the luscious Sandra Smith, standing in for Neil while he recovers from open-heart surgery. :-)

[plain talk]

Those accounts are from long ago. Nevertheless if they are true the man is a sleaze.

[Dawgreg]

Not today.......today we have the luscious Stuart Varney.....lol

[OldNewYork]

Agree. Though the country is going to be moving to the right, so another network will benefit for the sake of the viewership.

[Bratch]

The Roger Ailes I Know

July 13, 2016

 

BEGIN TRANSCRIPT

RUSH: I'm sure that you are all aware of the sexual harassment lawsuit that's been filed by Gretchen Carlson against Roger Ailes at Fox News.  It's a lawsuit not aimed at Fox.  It's targeted specifically at Roger Ailes. I've had people email me, "Why haven't you commented on this?"  Well, A, I actually didn't think it was necessary, but I'd be happy to. 

But before I do, I just want to remind you that, as I knew would happen, there have been a plethora of women employees at Fox who have stood up and said they don't understand it. They've never seen it. They've never seen any evidence of it. They've never been treated this way. They were shocked and stunned.  Let's see if I can remember the women. 

We've had Kimberly Guilfoyle, Sandra Smith, Jeanine Pirro of Judge Jeanine, Ainsley Earhardt.  There's a bunch of them.  Yeah, Neil Cavuto, even Geraldo has weighed in, and Martha MacCallum weighed in, Greta Van Susteren, they're all saying that they're never seen, they're never been treated this way, they're never seen any sign of it anywhere.  But Gretchen insists. 

Let me throw in, folks. I've known Roger Ailes since 1990.  I've never seen Roger Ailes even flirt with a woman.  Roger used to host some of the most fun things, Saturday afternoon water volleyball games. He had a home at one time at Croton-on-Hudson, and Rudy would show up with his kids. It was a representative group of the New York Republican power structure. Peter Powers, his family, it was families and so forth, some people that worked for Roger, a lot of women. 

When I saw this, of all the people in the world that you would think might have this proclivity, Roger Ailes would be at the bottom of any list.  I've never seen him do anything other than interact with great friendliness and respect for women.  It totally took me aback, and when I say I've never seen him flirt, I mean it.  I've never seen him flirt.  I've known him when he was married. I've known him when he was single. I double-dated.  I've never seen it.  I've never seen one sign of this. 

I've never heard one woman -- I know some of the people that work at Fox -- it's never, ever been mentioned.  And like everybody else I was shocked and taken aback when I saw this.  I also know Gretchen.  I've been interviewed by Gretchen at the Miss America Pageant.  I know that she's a Christian, she's religious. 

Then I found this story on Breitbart.  "Gretchen Carlson Attorney Donates Big to Left Wing Democrats Who Aggressively Criticize Fox News -- An analysis of political donations that Nancy Erika Smith --" She's the lawyer for Gretchen "--  has made shows she is a hardcore progressive Democrat who has given thousands upon thousands of dollars to Democratic candidates for office. Many of those Democrats that Smith has supported have repeatedly, viciously and very publicly criticized the Fox News Channel for its coverage."

How did Gretchen end up with this lawyer?  I mean, those are the questions I ask.  How did she end up with somebody like this?  Now, maybe if you're going to bring a lawsuit like this you want to go out and find a pit bull that hates Fox.  And maybe that's what she's done.  I'm telling you, folks, of all the people about whom you could make such an allegation, this is one that nobody who knows him would believe.  

It's just... You know, I introduced Roger... He was given an award in 2009 by a Boy Scout group in suburban New York, and there were a number of people who spoke, and I was one.  And the point that I made is here you have Fox News, and at the time... This was 2009. At the time, Fox had 1,700 employees.  Fox debuted in 1996.  I said, "The thing that you have to know about Roger Ailes is that he's a winner and a leader -- and to illustrate this, I want you to look at Fox News and admit what you know about it.  It has a distinctive identity. 

"It has a unique and distinctive culture.  Its identity is different from any other news organization.  It is perceived to be honest."  Its fans -- back in 2009 -- perceived Fox to be unbiased and fair and balanced and all these things.  I said, "The guy responsible for this is not even on the air.  Roger Ailes never once appears on camera.  Roger Ailes has never appeared on camera.  Yet Roger Ailes -- because of his leadership and dynamism -- has been able to create a culture with 1,700 people who are all oriented in the same professional direction."

I said, "You can't accomplish that unless you are deeply and profoundly respected.  You can't have that kind of organization. Do you realize how hard it is? Imagine being a boss of 1,700 people. Pick whatever business you want. Imagine being a boss of 1,700 people and having your business day in and day out be true to its identity no matter who is on the air, no matter who's doing what, no matter who off the air is writing, producing, booking."

It's like you pull into McDonald's; you want a Quarter Pounder with Cheese. No matter where you go, it better taste like a Quarter Pounder with Cheese.  If it doesn't, then there's a problem.  Well, no matter what time of day, no matter what day of the week, you tune on Fox News, and it'd better be what you're expecting, or you're not gonna stay, and it is.  To me... You know, it's easy for me to control the culture of this show 'cause it's just me. I'm the only one here.  I don't have any writers, producers, or anything else to control. 

Ah, sometimes I have to ride herd on Snerdley and phone calls, but... (chuckles) I'm just kidding.  But 1,700 people and having them all on the same page you are?  I just don't know how you do that without having demanded the respect and loyalty of all of those people.  And I don't know how you do that if you're out engaging in things like sexual harassment and threats and saying, "If you don't sleep with me, you're not gonna be working tonight or whatever," which... Whatever these allegations are, this doesn't make any sense to anybody that I know who knows Roger.  So that's...

I haven't held back on saying anything about it. 

But the story on Gretchen's lawyer and her political objectives served as a transition for me to get into it today.  

END TRANSCRIPT

 

 

[TruthWillWin]

Apparently so per the article. Interesting choice for an attorney?

[ObamahatesPACoal]

It looks like Gretchen was actually just a warning to Ailes that Murdoch wanted him to go quietly.