Roger Ailes, the former Fox News CEO has died, his family announced. He passed away after a fall at his home.
Breaking News: Former Fox News chairman and CEO Roger Ailes has died, his family announced. pic.twitter.com/AksPdNSZaI
— Fox News (@FoxNews) May 18, 2017
“I am profoundly sad and heartbroken to report that my husband, Roger Ailes, passed away this morning.” Elizabeth Ailes said in a statement. “Roger was a loving husband to me, to his son Zachary, and a loyal friend to many.”
“He was also a patriot, profoundly grateful to live in a country that gave him so much opportunity to work hard, to rise – and to give back,” she said. “During a career that stretched over more than five decades, his work in entertainment, in politics, and in news affected the lives of many millions. And so even as we mourn his death, we celebrate his life.”
Ailes founded Fox News and shaped the modern cable news landscape. Before that, he worked as a producer and also worked in politics as a consultant. In the early 1990s, he served as president of CNBC, which he left to create Fox News.
Ailes was known for his love of country and a profound devotion to his employees.
Fox News’ Janice Dean said, through tears Thursday morning, that when she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, Roger called her and asked what he could do for her family.
https://twitter.com/seanhannity/status/865189688772112384
Love and prayers to Beth and Zach. R.I.P Roger – you changed television as we know it. https://t.co/1vjhGFQaDc
— Bret Baier (@BretBaier) May 18, 2017
Some have credited Ailes with “saving the country” by founding Fox News which is the only cable news outlet not slanted to left.
Ailes saw the need to put a conservative perspective on television as early as 1970. As an aide to President Richard Nixon, he wrote, “A Plan for Putting the GOP on TV News.”
“Today television news is watched more often than people read newspapers, than people listen to the radio, than people read or gather any other form of communication,” the memo read. “The reason: People are lazy. With television you just sit — watch — listen. The thinking is done for you.”
In 1996, Ailes took the helm of the cable news behemoth, founded by Rupert Murdoch, that has topped ratings since 2002 – topping CNN. It had maintained that status uninterrupted until his departure from the network in 2017.
At its founding, Fox News started with shows that most remember and some are still on the air today. “The O’Reilly Factor”, “Your World with Neil Cavuto “, and “Hannity & Colmes.” Matt Drudge of the Drudge Report also hosted a show called “Drudge” until 1999.
At Fox since its founding, Sean Hannity issued an emotional statement on Ailes’ passing.
Today America lost one of its great patriotic warriors. RA. For Decades RA’s has impacted American politics and media. He has dramatically and forever changed the political and the media landscape singlehandedly for the better. Neither will ever be the same again as he was a true American original.
Few people in this life will ever reach the profound level of impact that Roger Ailes had on the country every single day. As his opponents played checkers in life, Roger was always the strategist, playing Chess 5 steps ahead at a whole other level.
On a personal note, were it not for Roger Ailes, I would not be the person I am today. In 1996 he took a huge risk on an inexperienced, young, local radio talk show host in Atlanta. To this day I have no earthly idea why I was hired and not fired early on, as I had little television experience when I was hired by FNC, as old tapes humbly remind me.
He saw something in me and many others he hired that we never saw in ourselves, and forever changed the trajectory of thousands of peoples lives. In many ways he was like a second father after I lost my father 6 months after I started at FNC in 3/97. I am forever grateful.
His endless enthusiasm, energy, wit, humor and raw instinctive intelligence will be greatly missed.
Our thoughts and prayers now turn to him, his Wife Beth, his son Zachary, his brother and his family. He will be deeply missed.
It would be nice if the media would leave Roger and his family alone in their time of grief, but knowing people that hated him and his politics, and those that forget “all have sinned and fallen short” and “cast the first stone” I doubt that will happen.
But to his enemies know this; I say ADVANTAGE ROGER, In his mind he just has a head start in preparing to kick your ass in the next life.
God speed Roger Ailes!
