Roger Ailes, former Fox News chief who changed cable news, dead

Ailes resigned from Fox News last July following allegations of sexual harassment


Reuters May 18, 2017
Ailes' family made the announcement on the Fox News website. PHOTO: REUTERS

NEW YORK: Roger Ailes, former chief executive of the US-based Fox News Channel, has died, a source told Reuters on Thursday.

Ailes resigned from Fox News last July following allegations of sexual harassment, marking an abrupt end to his 20-year reign over America's most lucrative and powerful cable news channel for conservatives.

Ailes was 77, according to the website of Fox News, which is owned by Rupert Murdoch's Twenty-First Century Fox Inc.

Fox News calls anchor an 'opportunist' over her harassment claim

Ailes' widow, Elizabeth Ailes, confirmed his death in a statement on the Fox News website.

"I am profoundly sad and heartbroken to report that my husband, Roger Ailes, passed away this morning," she wrote.

"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."

Brian Kilmeade, a Fox News host, said on the channel that Ailes “helped build Fox News Channel into the powerhouse it is today.”

COMMENTS

Replying to X

Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.

For more information, please see our Comments FAQ