Fox Makes Its Official Announcement About the Future of Roger Ailes

Roger Ailes, who built Fox News from the ground up to be a powerful force in cable TV news, has stepped down as CEO of Fox News amid allegations of sexual harassment.

Late Thursday afternoon, Fox issued a statement saying Ailes would be departing “immediately.”

The statement did not discuss the allegations against him, which were first made public by former Fox host Gretchen Carlson in a sexual harassment lawsuit she filed against Ailes and the network. Although Ailes was defended by many top-name staffers, several others complained anonymously that Carlson was right in her claims. After 21st Century Fox, the parent of Fox News, investigated the charges, Fox host Megyn Kelly reportedly disclosed that she also had been harassed once by Ailes.

The statement by Fox announcing Ailes’ departure said that Rupert Murdoch, executive chairman of 21st Century Fox, will serve as chairman and acting CEO of Fox News Channel and Fox Business Network. In the statement, Murdoch lavished praise on Ailes.

“Roger Ailes has made a remarkable contribution to our company and our country. Roger shared my vision of a great and independent television organization and executed it brilliantly over 20 great years,” Murdoch said.

“His grasp of policy and his ability to make profoundly important issues accessible to a broader audience stand in stark contrast to the self-serving elitism that characterizes far too much of the media,” Murdoch also said.

“I am personally committed to ensuring that Fox News remains a distinctive, powerful voice. Our nation needs a robust Fox News to resonate from every corner of the country,” he added in the statement.

The only reference to the charges wafting about Ailes came in comments attributed to Lachlan Murdoch and James Murdoch, 21st Century Fox’s executive chairman and CEO respectively. They said, “… we continue our commitment to maintaining a work environment based on trust and respect. We take seriously our responsibility to uphold these traditional, long-standing values of our company.”

A letter from Ailes to Murdoch has also been made public, which reads, in part, “Having spent 20 years building this historic business, I will not allow my presence to become a distraction from the work that must be done every day to ensure that Fox News and Fox Business continue to lead our industry. I am confident that everyone at Fox News and Fox Business will continue as the standard setters that they are, and that the businesses are well positioned for even greater success in the future.” (For more from the author of “Fox Makes Its Official Announcement About the Future of Roger Ailes” please click HERE)

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