I thought Fox News was assigned to Murdoch’s youngest son, James. This may only be for the short term, until things settle back down and stockholders feel comfortable with the new directions. I think they will regret this decision.
Murdoch’s sons have always despised Roger Ailes and have been looking for a way to get rid of him for years. Under the “new” management structure that was announced a few months back, Ailes reported to both Murdoch and his boys; previously, he only reported to Rupert.
There are rumors that Roger’s health is declining and he may be content to ride into the sunset with a huge payout. On the other hand, his departure from FNC may spur Ailes to launch a new channel. With the talent, editorial and production personnel he could pull from Fox, Ailes could create a new channel that could compete—and even beat—FNC in a very short period of time.
If Ailes takes O’Reilly, Greta and Hannity to a new channel and Megyn flees to a MSM outlet (as is widely expected) Fox will be left with nothing. The hosts of The Five may bolt as well, along with the morning crew. One of Ailes’s greatest strengths as a TV executive was his ability to spot and develop talent. If the Murdochs believe they can simply stick anyone on a 8, 9, or 10 pm and remain #1, they are sadly mistaken.