A fight for the soul of Fox News

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[Forty Watt]

Who knew?  Apparently Fox News has a soul. 

Rupert Murdoch's son-in-law says family members are "ashamed and sickened" of the mogul's right-wing channel Fox News, in what Murdochologists said could be the opening salvo in a public battle for the soul of America's most-watched news channel.

[...]

Agreeing to contribute his thoughts to a New York Times profile of Mr Ailes, Mr Freud stated: "I am by no means alone within the family or the company in being ashamed and sickened by Roger Ailes's horrendous and sustained disregard of the journalistic standards that News Corporation, its founder and every other global media business aspires to."

[...]

Mr Wolff said last night that Mr Freud's statement could only be interpreted as a calculated attempt to put pressure on Mr Ailes. "Matthew Freud, a PR man of extraordinary craftiness, is not going to say anything off the cuff, certainly not that. I have never heard a shoe drop as loud. I don't believe Roger Ailes can continue in this company. Not only has he been told that its controlling shareholders don't want him, but he has been told they think he is despicable. Something has just been set in motion."

Read on.  This could get interesting.

[Sister Artemis]

This has potential for being good news - perhaps Fox can be reigned in a bit?

Plus... there are "Murdochologists?"  Wow.

[Forty Watt]

Plus... there are "Murdochologists?"  Wow.

I'm thinking that's a word that might show up in the *Words I loathe & words I love* thread -- depending on the outcome of the fight, perhaps. 

[pacos_gal]

This is Very interesting.  A tiff between the Murdoch heirs and Ailes the American President of Fox could get very good. 

This is the New York Times article that the Independent spoke of:
A Fox Chief at the Pinnacle of Media and Politics

In the fall of 2008, Roger Ailes, the head of Fox News, went to his boss, Rupert Murdoch, with two complaints: he had heard that Mr. Murdoch was considering endorsing Barack Obama for president in The New York Post, and he had read a book excerpt in Vanity Fair suggesting that Mr. Murdoch was sometimes embarrassed by the right-leaning Fox News.

Mr. Ailes threatened to quit, a person familiar with the conversation said. Instead, Mr. Murdoch soon rewarded him with a new, more lucrative contract — he made $23 million last year in salary, bonuses and other compensation, more than Mr. Murdoch — and The New York Post endorsed John McCain.

How much power does Ailes have at FoxNews?  Well, it appears he has enough to have Murdoch pay attention to what Ailes wants over what Murdoch himself might want, doesn't it. 

And who was it who said that Ailes threatened to quit?  None other than Michael Wolff, the writer of the autobiography on Rupert Murdoch and he has his own article on the issue out now.

http://www.newser.com/off-the-grid/post/372/roger-ailes-rupert-murdoch-and-how-i-became-a-non-person-at-the-new-york-times.html

The article quotes Matthew Freud (I advised Arango to call Freud), Murdoch’s son-in-law, using, practically speaking, the most extreme language possible to disparage Ailes, suggesting that the family is “ashamed and sickened by Roger’s horrendous and sustained disregard of the journalistic standards that News Corporation, its founder and every other global media business aspires to.”

Huh? Matthew Freud, a PR man of extraordinary craftiness, almost never gets quoted. When he does, it means something. When he does, he’s doing it at the behest and interest of the Murdoch family.

What you heard was a declaration of war.

This is one article I suggest you read through.  He thinks Ailes cannot prevail against the Murdoch children.  Whatever happens to him will be up to them in Wolff's opinion.

Everyone has said that Ailes won't go quietly into the night, he'll fire a punch back in retaliation for what Freud said.

Was the announcement of Palin's coming into the Fox fold not only a timely response to the 60 minutes liar, liar, pants on fire piece, but also a response to the Murdoch heirs that FoxNews will run the way he wants it to and that he is in charge?

I think maybe a bit of both. 

Can Ailes make some sort of deal for voting rights with Rupert Murdoch before the reins are handed over?  What moves does he have in this game of high stakes chess involving big money, politics, conservatism and power?

[Kilia]

Beings that he is up in age, What do you all think is going to happen when Rupert Murdoch passes away?

[0whole1]

Was the announcement of Palin's coming into the Fox fold not only a timely response to the 60 minutes liar, liar, pants on fire piece, but also a response to the Murdoch heirs that FoxNews will run the way he wants it to and that he is in charge?

You mean Palin was hired just to cost the Murdoch heirs money and ratings if they tried to fire her?

Or possibly to embarrass them with a real stinker of a show they couldn't get rid of?

[pacos_gal]

I mean, he publicly shows up the Murdoch heirs with a, "whatever I run FoxNews not you" kind of thing, with the Palin announcement.  This is about control and power and with Murdoch's wife Wendi trying to urge her husband to cut back the political stuff at Fox and the kids saying it's sickening, then doesn't his just show them who is really in control? 

[Forty Watt]

Interesting comparison between Ailes and the man he once worked for, Nixon:

Rick Perlstein, author of “Nixonland,” sees a strong resemblance between Mr. Ailes’s political experience and his approach to television.

“Like Richard Nixon, like Spiro Agnew, Fox News can never see itself as the attacker,” he said. “They are always playing defense because they believe they are always under attack, which attracts people that have the same personality formation. By bringing that mind-set, plus the high energy seamless stream of the aggression of talk radio, he has found an audience.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/10/business/media/10ailes.html?pagewanted=2

[daisydem]

I don't want her on the East Coast, and I don't even live there.  But I love it.

[pacos_gal]

This too is interesting:

http://gawker.com/5406000/rupert-murdochs-purge-of-roger-ailes-news-corp-enemies-is-nearly-complete

In reading some of these and other articles today I am always interested in Ailes view that he "built" FoxNews. He might have been the guiding hand and FoxNews certainly displays his viewpoint even more so than Murdochs, but there is a limit.  He is the American President of FoxNews, but he didn't start the company and he doesn't own the company.  That lies solely within the Murdoch family, as both founder and owner.  He can be removed, even though he might think he is indispensable, no one ever is in the media business.

As recently as 2002, FoxNews wasn't making that much money.  It is largely thanks to the cable that FoxNews has become the largest money maker at News Corp.  The deals for broadcasting rights brings in a lot of bucks.  

It reminds me of Michael Eisner and Disney.  

[boodog]

According to the Los Angeles Times, Palin's first appearance for Fox will be Tuesday (tomorrow) on O'Reilly's show. Oh yeay..

[Mud puppy]

I question the wisdom of Faux News and their hiring Sarah Palin, they are giving her a nataional platform to do more of the "Oops Palinism's".

[pacos_gal]

Fox is going all out with Palin. 

http://content.usatoday.com/communities/entertainment/post/2010/01/sarah-palin-signs-multi-year-deal-with-fox-news/1

As a contributor, Palin will provide political commentary and analysis for FOX News Channel (FNC), FOX Business Network (FBN), FOXNews.com, and FOX News-produced special event political programming for FOX Broadcasting.

Do they really think she is smart enough to hold her on in a commentary and analysis type of program, where comments made are often off the cuff and in response to what others are saying?  Holy Cow. 
I can totally see her reading a script, etc.  But not anything spontaneous.  When she does that she does stupid in a BIG way. 

I read today that Ailes is a history buff.  How on earth he is going to be able to stand to be in the same room as Palin is gonna be a miracle in and of itself.  Maybe he doesn't actually know how stupid she is, but has just bought into the all pop that surrounds her by others, who also don't actually know her. 

[ds55]

Beings that he is up in age, What do you all think is going to happen when Rupert Murdoch passes away?

The heirs will split up the Murdoch empire and sell it off in pieces to the highest bidders. 

[Kilia]

Beings that he is up in age, What do you all think is going to happen when Rupert Murdoch passes away?

The heirs will split up the Murdoch empire and sell it off in pieces to the highest bidders. 

Including Faux News..amirite? ;-)

[Sirenoftitan]

An urgent question arises regarding Roger Ailes, one-time heavy-weight Republican campaign consultant turned Fox News chief for Rupert Murdoch. Why does he need two tinted-window sport utility vehicles to commute daily into New York City from bucolic Putnam County? Answer: to accommodate his ego. The real explanation, according to a New York Times profile, is security and Ailes' belief since 9/11 that he could be a terrorist target.

The power behind the throne at Fox by David Usborne, The Indpendent

[0whole1]

I can totally see her reading a script, etc.  But not anything spontaneous.  When she does that she does stupid in a BIG way. 

Pretty much.  However, remember the dude on Fox & friends talkling up eugenics a while back?

Code:

http://www.politico.com/blogs/michaelcalderone/0709/Fox_host_apologizes_for_pure_genes_comment.html

The tolerance for stupid is pretty high there.  Key is how many sentences in a row she has to say.

I wonder if she's going to get enough practice talking about politics that her stupid will become less?

[Forty Watt]

If you're tempted to actually watch Fox News <shudder> to see Palin, please keep in mind that Newshounds will do it for you.

We watch FOX so you don't have to.

http://www.newshounds.us/

[Aeroentropy]

Hey Folks - I think we have 2 subjects going on here, so I'm asking that all FOX hires Sarah Palin comments move over to here:
http://www.themudflats.net/forum/index.php/topic,9193.msg97490/topicseen.html#new


We'll keep this thread for the FOX internal power struggles. I know they're related, but humor me here...!

Thanks

[Sister Artemis]

If you're tempted to actually watch Fox News <shudder> to see Palin, please keep in mind that Newshounds will do it for you.

We watch FOX so you don't have to.

http://www.newshounds.us/

That's an interesting site - new to me, and thanks for the lead!