Fox News longtime executive Alan Komissaroff, who has worked his way up the network for nearly 30 years, died suddenly over the weekend after first suffering a heart attack two weeks prior.
Komissaroff was just 47 years old. He started at the network after graduating college in 1996 and spent his entire professional career at the cable news giant.
“We have devastating news to share with you about Senior Vice President of News & Politics, Alan Komissaroff,” a joint statement by Fox News CEO Suzanne Scott and FOX News Media President & Executive Editor Jay Wallace read.
“Tragically, Alan passed away today after suffering a heart attack at his home nearly two weeks ago,” the statement said. “He was just 47 years old.”
They called the tragic news “extremely difficult” and said the entire network was “completely heartbroken.”
The statement continued:
Alan was a leader and mentor throughout FOX News Media who was integral to our daily news operations and played an indispensable role in every election cycle. The recent midterm election coverage was easily one of the finest nights of special coverage he produced throughout his career.
And he was the ultimate producer: breaking news, politics, special events — there was no steadier or more trusted colleague to be with in the control room during the most consequential events of our time and his incisiveness and passion for news made our work better.
He would joke that he was a guy from ‘real Brooklyn’ and rose through the ranks to become a writer, producer, showrunner, and eventually Senior Vice President of News & Politics, overseeing all political coverage. His sharp sense of humor and quick wit throughout his incredible career also led to the many lifelong friendships he made here.
Fox News anchor Bret Baier paid tribute to Komissaroff on his “Special Report” show on Sunday. Baier saluted Komissaroff as “a crucial leader in our coverage for every major news event and every election night.”
“Alan recently led a discussion about the midterms at a company town hall. He was a happy warrior,” Baier said. “He always had a smile on his face. He was a true professional. He always thought outside the box and made us better every day.”
Take a look —
Tonight the @FoxNews family remembers our beloved colleague Alan Komissaroff, Senior Vice President of News & Politics. Alan, we will miss you dearly and our thoughts are with your family. If you would like to help Alan's family you can visit: https://t.co/JILzXyBbJ3 pic.twitter.com/vM4NHswicI
— Bret Baier (@BretBaier) January 21, 2023
Komissaroff is survived by his wife Rachael and children Ben, 17, and Olivia, 13. Services will be held on Sunday at 1 PM ET at Mount Sinai Memorial Chapels in East Brunswick, NJ. A GoFundMe page also was launched for contributions to his family. The network will run an obituary package on Special Report on Monday.