By Aimee Pontier
Fox News CEO Roger Ailes has been with the network since its launch in 1996. But as his 20th anniversary nears, a number of credible sexual harassment allegations have surfaced — and Ailes could be out in a matter of days.
Since the allegations became public, 21st Century Fox Chairman Rupert Murdoch and Murdoch’s sons, James and Lachlan, have all called for Ailes’ resignation.
New York Magazine reports that two sources claim the Murdochs’ have decided to remove Ailes from his position as CEO. James, the younger of the Murdoch brothers, believes Ailes should be fired as early as this week, while Rupert and Lachlan prefer the ousting to be postponed until after the Republican Convention.
The removal is no surprise after it was reported this week that Fox News host Megyn Kelly had accused the 76-year-old Ailes of making unwanted sexual advances towards her when she was a young Fox correspondent about 10 years ago.
New York Magazine cited two anonymous sources who had been briefed on an internal review, conducted by Fox News parent company 21st Century Fox, prompted by similar accusations from Fox Host Gretchen Carlson.
Just two weeks before Kelly’s reported admission, Carlson filed a lawsuit against Ailes, accusing him of sexual harassment and sexism.
The Associated Press reports, “Carlson, in her lawsuit, alleges that Ailes told her in a private meeting about her workplace complaints that ‘you and I should have had a sexual relationship a long time ago.’ She said her resistance led to Fox not renewing her contract.”
Ailes was quick to refute the allegations, telling Business Insider, “When Fox News did not commence any negotiations to renew her contract, Ms. Carlson became aware that her career with the network was likely over and conveniently began to pursue a lawsuit.”
But the claims are getting harder to disprove with more accusations emerging.
Gabriel Sherman reported in her 2014 biography of the CEO that four other woman alleged Ailes had abused his position to make inappropriate sexual comments at work.
Since Carlson’s accusation, six other woman have come forward with sexual harassment complaints about Ailes, some dating back to the 1960s when he was at The Mike Douglas Show.
The investigation into Ailes is continuing, and his attorney Susan Estrich told Hollywood Reporter Tuesday that, “There is no term sheet, there is no agreement, there is no deal, and the review is ongoing.”
Lachlan and James Murdoch, who hold major sway over any possible agreement with Ailes, “have little affection for Ailes, who treated them with contempt earlier in their careers” according NPR.
Since acquiring 21st Century Fox about a year ago, the brothers made huge changes. According to Financial Review, “They replaced their father’s Republican lobbying chief with a Democratic one. They have jettisoned film executives, overhauled foreign TV operations and dug into the evolution of cable channels such as National Geographic.”
But the brothers have left Fox News untouched – until now.
With the recent scandal surrounding Ailes, the mastermind behind Fox News, the brothers appear eager to force him out and remake the network.
Additionally, there has been talk of host and prominent Fox figure Bill O’Reilly’s retirement, meaning Ailes ousting could be just the beginning of an entirely transformed Fox News.
— Aimee Pontier is the Editor of The Horn News
We all have thorns in our sides that counteract our better selves. Often men in power with fantastic talent give in to their hyper-heterosexual urges. This is no different than the thorns the LGBT community members face – when they could be doing so much better if they could control themselves. (I’m as guilty as the next guy.) We exist in a moral universe where choices and their consequences make us human – for good or evil. We are not the animals the progressive totalitarians make us out to be. I was taught we are made in the image and likeness of God. It couldn’t be if we only responded to our basest urges as we are driven by the latest fad, a corrupt political scene and the MSM.
He is nothing but a toad.. he even looks like a toad does he smell like a toad?
Sally, I wasn’t aware that’s smelled, is that what you do, smell toads?
And that is why there is that code to not shit where you eat. That sex drive gets many guys in hot water that are too dumb to live by that standard. Especially when you have the money to go to a pro to put it nicely. He deserves what he gets for all the harassment he’s done over his long career at Fox. I wonder how many women would now come forward of they were asked to now that this guy is on the way out and has no more power over them? He’s no Bill Cosby the evil rapist that he is. I am glad he went blind and I hope he goes to jail the rest of his life.
Gary,,please refrain from using foul language, please!!!
Anyone accused, investigated and then found to have attempted to take advantage of anyone working for them should be ridiculed publically and then terminated for their conduct so that future employment opportunities would not involve subordinates.
Obviously you have never held a position as any type of executive at any level. You also seem to accept a very liberal viewpoint that anyone charged is guilty until proven innocent. You would destroy a persons life because of allegations. There are usually others in the family who are also punished even though the accused person is frequently found not guilty.
Obviously you have a very guilty conscience when it come to Bill Clinton. I suppose that if your spouse cheated on you with an endless string of women, you too would not divorce the lying pig if it would hurt your chances of becoming President.
Where there’s smoke, there’s fire. I believe Meghan. This guy, Ailes, must go!
I wouldn’t believe Meee–gan if my life depended on it! She is an arrogant opportunist!
I don’t even know the guy. You are judge and jury? Back off and wait for the facts. You are part of the problem with people accusing someone up front and when they MAY be acquitted of all charges you keep to yourself. If you were accused of something would you like your peers to past judgement or wait for the facts???????
megyn should stay.she is the best thing to happen to fox news
Bullshit!!
DITTO
I agree.. Get rid of her too.
POMPOUS whore!!
NOT!!
FOX NEWS is now a BRAND of sorts and will spring up somewhere else while maybe not under Ailes leadership. The model will survive while be under another name with different investors. Maybe even Mr. Bill. Then the UK boys can choke in eating their democratic leaning cake.
Why is Mr. Ailes not innocent until proven guilty? Fox News, while at present the best and most complete news available, will ultimately suffer with his termination. There are always two sides to the story, and somewhere in the middle lies the truth. I guess all good things must come to an end. Too bad. Something stinks here…don’t you think?
Some time even if the evidence is there, people still get away with their crimes (Hillary and the rest of the Clinton klan) for example…. May be Megan is not as good as she thinks she is and will try anything to pass the buck on something else…..i have worked with people who said if they were on the verge of getting fired or smelled something fishy going on that they would claim sexual harrasment ??? If its in the wind that you may get screwed at your job better for you to do the turning of the screw?
I agree, Karen!!!!
So much of the trouble we see in today’s difficulties, have to do with not believing or accepting consequences. Too many are getting away with behavior and beliefs that would have had them banned from our society of humans in the past.
I wish Bill O”Reilly WOULD retire, he is the epitome of bloviation ( like that word, Bill?) He is a progressive in sheep’s clothing, always defending the indefensible, including O’bama Lama ding dong. Having respect for the office of the president is far different than giving him excuses for his behavior and his politics.
Well said he’s way past his time. Just blathers on and on. Although I do think his books are great.
ROGER AILES IS AN IDIOT! THAT’S WHAT HAPPENS WHEN PEOPLE STROKE THEIR EGO’S. THEY DO IDIOTIC THINGS AT THE EXPENSE OF OTHER PEOPLE. ARROGANCE AND STUPIDITY.WHAT A FALL FROM GRACE ……POSITION OF PROMINENCE AND PROSPERITY,RECOGNITION. IT’S ALL GOING TO LEAVE HIM. BYE ROGER. HAVE A NICE LIFE, STUPID.
understand it all, but truly megyn Kelly is total white trash . why would a woman with such beauty and talent go talk on howard stern about her husbands genitals sick lady in my eyes
AGREE!!!
That cured me also. I lost my respect for her. Who wants to hear about her husbands pocket rocket.
I thought i was the only one that doesn’t care for megkn kelly.
While I do condone sex harassment am hopeful that the left leaning owners do not make a disastrous mistake by changing the only news service that is fair and balanced to a purely democratic news abuse service. There are way too many of those steady. Going away from a successful format will only great the demise of the station because I am other viewers will seek another news service that is not controlled by political basis from the left. Do not cut open the golden goose, just find a CEO that believe in the format and can control their sexual urges no matter which sex they are.
It should be I do not condone sexual harrassment.
Correction, It should be I do not condone sexual harrassment.
I agree with you steve if it changes so will i/ Billy Snider said this
I get this now, how it works Sexual allegations that he made to a female 10 years ago and Hillary lied under oath about Benghazi and all her Secret emails accounts and lied to the parents of the soldiers that died KNOWING SHE SAID to Them to stand down … with all of her lies nothing Happens to her well if the Shoe fits one person it should fit all the people..
if all else fails claim sexual harrasment, racist, prejudice or what ever it takes to get some one else in the spot light.
Hillary is above the law. She is exempt from all the mountains of crimes she committed. As believe that she has been used to living among criminals, and sexual predators like her husband Bill who she tolerated for many years.
Hell, anyone with good discernment ( and tghere are a lot out there who don’t) one look at him and you can see the spirit of perversion. A lumpy sausage geriatric with a perverted sex drive hidden behind a corporate facade. He is just the tip of the iceberg on what goes on out in corporate america
Not a fan of Meghyn Kelly anymore and always leery of allegations but when numerous sources independent of one another make similar claims about harassment certainly it gives one pause. O’Reilly? Not as far to the right as the leftist wackos make him out to be.
Agreed!
Megan Kelly if this was true why not make a complaint when it happen and file a law suit.
I don’t like her and she is trying to get her name on the news.
And by the way Bill O Reilly is great.
Don’t be too quick to change your station.
I can’t stand that arrogant Meagan Kelly, she thinks she’s the no.1 female on Fox News, when she tried to TRASH the Donald, I have little or respect for her, she’s a LOSER as far as I’m concerned!
This “Robert Peterson” on her is very brave calling Meghan Kelly a “whore” hiding behind his keyboard! I’ll bet he would NEVER do it in front of her husband….I say he is a COWARD!!!
Agreed, the best they have are: Hannity, Lou Dobbs, Eric Bollen, Bill Hemmer, Martha Macallum, Harris Faulkner & Dana & several others….Bill O’Rielly is ok most of the time but thinks he has the answer for everything which is a joke! So full of himself… I LOVE Jesse Watters!
THERE’S DISHONORABLE BEHAVIOR EVERYWHERE … BUT THIS SCANDAL WILL HAVE NO BEARING ON WHERE I GET MY NEWS INFORMATION. FOX IS THE ONLY NETWORK THAT SEEMS ‘FAIR AND BALANCED’ WHERE CNN AND THE OTHER GARBAGE INPUT NETWORKS ARE OWNED BY THE LIBERALS AND THEY PLAY DIRTY AND SLANDEROUSLY.
On a professional level, Roger Ailes was the one individual most responsible for the success of the Fox News Channel, claims against his personal behavior notwithstanding. The Murdoch princes are just that: Children that want the prestige of the business so they can get invited to all the Upper West Side cocktail parties. In my opinion, they are not worthy to head the business that was built by their father and grandfather.
There have been changes made to the line-up on FNC that have been rumored to be forced upon the network by James. Unfortunately, this has dented the network’s reputation in the eyes of many viewers. This has also caused the disagreements between James and his dad (and Roger Ailes) to be more about the so-called lack of balance that James sees through his eyes and hears from his cocktail-party friends.
At this point, I see James as someone looking for a scapegoat to target for firing, than someone who is interested in the editorial integrity of the network. I wish Rupert would just put James back on the farm.
Sometimes it is best not to mess with what is working. If the new owners and managers make too many changes they may find that their viewers will go elsewhere.
Sexual harassment allegations should be investigated privately rather than played out in the public square. There may be business executives who are watching this play out and decide that it is better not to get too close to employees of the opposite sex. While this may reduce their chance of being accused it may also mean some these people will not receive the mentoring they need to succeed.
I would say let us have a lie detector for the accusers and the accused. At one time I would have bought anything Megan said but with her unfair treatment of Trump I have a hard time believing her. I cant remember the guy that was kicked to the curb by several females accusing him of the same thing. He was a black guy and the accusers were Democrats which made their story hard for me to believe. My Question was why wait several years to bring it out. If some one approached my wife and I found out about it. I don’t see me waiting around to bring the problem to the front. He would get a but kicking the next day.
I posted earlier . . . There was no profanity, personal attack or hate speech, but my post didn’t make the cut. My post was cleaner than some post that made the cut. I guess The Horn is one of those far left progressive organizations that believe in freedom of speech as long as THEY get to decide if you get to exercise that right. I don’t need to tell The Horn what they can do.
Now, to find the unsubscribe link . . . Got better things to do than read their garbage.
Fox has became just the fake right wing version of CNN (Clinton News Network)
Now another interesting fact is that as of January 27th of 2016 a Saudi Arabian prince Al-Waleed Bin Talal investment firm Kingdom Holding Company holds a 6.6% stock in 21st Century Fox, the parent corporation of the Fox News Group which includes, Fox News Channel, and Fox Business Network…
Kingdom Holding Company also has a stake in Twitter and Citigroup…
Hillary and Bill love all the millions they get from the Saudi’s via CGI (Clinton Global Initiative) which is connected to the Clinton Foundation.. The Clinton’s use a non-profit status out of Canada…
If you folks have not yet seen the movie “Clinton Cash”, it will really open your minds.. Very well done documentary movie just released yesterday. The facts are mind blowing to say the least…