Not surprisingly, the departure of CEO Roger Ailes has thrown the future of Fox News into question. Not whether it will exist, per se, but what kind of entity will remain.
Writer Sarah Ellison predicts in Vanity Fair that “a massive culture change” is likely to come:
One staffer expressed to me an even greater fear: that, without Ailes, Fox News’s future is in an existential crisis. Under Ailes, the network had operated rather independently from its parent company, 21st Century Fox. Now, many staffers worry that they will be monitored more closely by “the Boys,” as James Murdoch, the C.E.O. of 21st Century Fox, and his brother, Lachlan, its executive chairman, are still known within the company. Indeed, many have feared for years that James Murdoch has little interest in his father’s core media assets—television, print, and movies—and remains more focused on a technological future. (A person close to James and Lachlan Murdoch dismissed both of these notions as “pure craziness” and said that the two view transforming the company as “a real calling.” This person also added that no one at the company need fear reprisals for discussing Ailes and insisted that the brothers want to foster an environment of “total trust and respect.” Meanwhile, in an August 3 conference call, Lachlan said that Fox News would not change its fundamental political character.)
A sale of Fox News, which generates some $1 billion in annual profit, seems unlikely. A massive culture change, however, seems probable. Some Ailes loyalists who remain affiliated with Fox News find themselves in a particularly difficult spot. They are anxious to distance themselves from him, even as they anticipate their own ouster from the network, a Fox source told me. Several of them, who worked for Ailes in a personal capacity but were on Fox’s payroll, were dismissed last week, according to one senior Fox employee.
Whatever happens, it will be interesting to watch… and we intend to do just that.
Roger Ailes graphic by DonkeyHotey, via Creative Commons license.
On a serious note, I’m struck by the billion dollars in profits. Traditionally, news divisions don’t make much money because the cost of supporting trained journalists to develop news stories, particularly investigative journalism, is so high.
Fox has fixed this dilemma by having pundits spin news created by others (like wire services and blogs) to feed propaganda to conservatives eager to consume what they believe the truth to be.
The death of journalism?
Doors, Wall Street Journal’s Bret Stephens has another damaging article about Grandpa Hannocchio. and the old hawk won’t like it.
The old hawk is scratching his gray hair wondering why Ruthless Rupy would allow Stephen’s to print a negative article about him, since the paper is owned by Ruthless’ parent company, News Corporation.
FYI, Ruthless is fully aware of these articles against Hannocchio. Ruthless holds editorial meetings with top staffers at this hideous skyscraper. He personally goes over the paper with staffers, discussing the paper’s content, etc. We know this for a fact.
Everyone knows Hannocchio is extremely loyal to Nixon Trainee Ailes. He, and other loyalists can’t be trusted with the new president and chairman of Fox “News” Channel. It’s better to get rid of them, and bring in new people to avoid future conflicts.
Hannocchio is too dumb to see the writing on the wall, on in this case, in a publication. Ruthless is leaving hints for this Long Island Lolito.
Hey Faux, keep that cash handy!. Folks are standing in line to sue Faux. Gotta keep things hush hush with the big bosses looking over their shoulder. Just pray a CPA doesn’t come to the front door.
Knock. Knock.
“Uh oh!”.