Fox News Lurches Left as Murdoch’s Sons Take Control of Media Dynasty <http://americac2c.com/forum/topics/fox-news-lurches-left-as-murdoch-s-sons-take-control-of-media-dyn?xg_source=msg_mes_network>
By Jerry A. Kane <http://canadafreepress.com/index.php/members/74409/JerryKane/337> 38 CanadaFreePress.com <http://canadafreepress.com/index.php/article-disqus/74409> ------------------------------ Rupert Murdoch handed over 21st Century Fox, the conglomerate behind Fox News, to sons James and Lachlan July 1, 2015. James is now CEO and Lachlan executive co-chairman. Last year Murdoch elevated his sons to prominent positions, James to co-COO and Lachlan to non-executive co-chairman, but the turnover of the conglomerate came sooner than expected. For 15 years, Roger Ailes has enjoyed near total autonomy as head of Fox News, but Ailes’ sovereign rule ended abruptly with the move. A 21st Century Fox spokesperson told The Hollywood Reporter from now on, “Roger will report to <http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2015/06/ailes-demotion-means-power-shift-in-fox-empire.html> Lachlan and James.” “For Ailes, it was a stinging smack-down <http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2015/06/ailes-demotion-means-power-shift-in-fox-empire.html> and effectively a demotion.” To say that Ailes and Murdoch’s son James have a strained relationship would be a bit of an understatement. James, whose wife once worked for the Clinton Foundation, is a rabid environmentalist who led the campaign to make News Corp a carbon-neutral company. Conversely, Ailes is a “fierce climate-change denier,” who allegedly has called James a “f@#$%!g dope <http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2015/06/ailes-demotion-means-power-shift-in-fox-empire.html>” and “Fredo <http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Fredo&defid=972638>.” Ailes was not notified of the management change in advance. Apparently, Murdoch has been convinced that Fox News will continue do well without Ailes at the helm. Last year Ailes took a leave of absence due to an illness, and the network’s ratings didn’t slide. Now that control of Fox News has been given to Murdoch’s sons Ailes’ fair and balanced reporting and conservative punditry will soon fall by the wayside. “I think the boys are back ... yoked together in a sort of competitive collaboration <http://www.nhregister.com/business/20150704/the-future-of-fox-murdochs-sons-taking-over-at-21st-century>,” said David Folkenflik, author of *Murdoch’s World: The Last of the Old Media Empires*. Last month at the behest of Ailes, Fox News gave Trump more airtime than any other candidate <http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2015/07/on-trump-murdoch-has-lost-control-of-ailes-fox.html>, and analysts and hosts made pro-Trump arguments and gushed over him. But then the network jumped the shark <http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=jump+the+shark> at the Republican Party’s first presidential primary debate in Cleveland, Ohio, last Thursday. Murdoch’s message to blunt Trump’s rise in the polls came loud and clear over his social media and publishing outlets, and the Fox News debate moderators tried to destroy his candidacy in a single night by unleashing an all-out character assassination to discredit him. “This wasn’t a debate, at least not like most of those I’ve seen. This was an inquisition <http://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/06/opinion/a-foxy-rowdy-republican-debate.html?_r=0>.”—Frank Bruni, journalist, New York Times Throughout the night, Fox News moderators, Bret Baier, Chris Wallace, and Megyn Kelly, deluged Trump with cheap shots and sophomoric “gotcha” questions, while pitting the candidates and the audience against him. It was an obvious planned hit to destroy Trump’s candidacy, a failed bread-and-circus show that left viewers with nothing substantive but a foul taste in their mouths. Cyberspace erupted with “disappointing, disgusting, embarrassing, appalling, shocking, and shameful <https://www.facebook.com/TheKellyFile/videos/1695179957363529/>.” In spite of the moderators’ collective efforts to take care of “This Trump Thing <http://dcwhispers.com/bill-clinton-tells-jeb-bush-this-trump-thing-will-be-taken-care-of/>,” Trump managed to survive their inquisition, but the network that Ailes had built over the past 15 years did not. Fox News died a humiliating death at Quicken Loans Arena August 6, 2015, in front of 24 million viewers <http://news.yahoo.com/massive-viewer-numbers-us-presidential-debate-fox-190446396.html>. In display of solidarity with its leftist alphabet and cable network counterparts <http://fox59.com/2015/08/07/moderators-draw-high-praise-as-gop-candidates-spar-for-prime-time-presidential-debate/>, the network relinquished any pretense of credibility. Will future bosses James and Lachlan Murdoch tame Fox News, 'the beating heart of conservative America'? Nick O'Malley <http://www.smh.com.au/business/by/Nick-O'Malley> [image: Succession plan ... Rupert Murdoch is planning to step down as 21st Century Fox CEO in favour of son James, right, while other son Lachlan (left) will be co-executive chairman of Fox, according to reports.] Succession plan ... Rupert Murdoch is planning to step down as 21st Century Fox CEO in favour of son James, right, while other son Lachlan (left) will be co-executive chairman of Fox, according to reports. Photo: Getty Images News that Rupert Murdoch was ceding some control of his empire to his sons, Lachlan and James, was met with immediate social media speculation that Fox News might be tamed, with significant consequences for the coming presidential election. The powerful and ferociously conservative tabloid TV outfit soon acted to douse that speculation, reporting that Fox's president and driving force, Roger Ailes, would remain in charge and would continue to report directly Rupert. [image: Roger Ailes, left, President of Fox News with Brian Kilmeade, Fox News Host.] Roger Ailes, left, President of Fox News with Brian Kilmeade, Fox News Host. Photo: Catrina Genovese/WireImage Over the years there has been tension between Mr Ailes and the younger generation of Murdochs. James Murdoch, whose wife Kathryn Murdoch Hufschmid works for the Clinton Climate Initiative, has signaled disquiet at some of the more extreme positions taken by Fox and Mr Ailes. "He finds Fox's politics and its demeanor and its bombastic nature and relentlessness to be embarrassing," said David Folkenflik, the media reporter for National Public Radio and author of the book *Murdoch's World*, shortly after the announcement. Lachlan Murdoch has a more personal history with Mr Ailes. When he came to the United States to work in the organisation, Mr Ailes and another executive, Peter Chernin, actively thwarted Lachlan's ambitions, deliberately cutting him out of crucial decision making processes said Mr Folkenflik. "I think they did not have the greatest regard for him," he said. "Not unreasonably they thought that if his surname was Smith or Folkenflik, he would not have been there at all." Eventually Lachlan was so disenchanted that resigned his post as deputy chief operating officer and returned to Australia. This was viewed as a failure by Rupert Murdoch, said Mr Folkenflik. "He was tested and found wanting." Mr Folkenflik believes that Mr Ailes also feels some resentment for the broader Murdoch clan because he has never been properly recognised for his creation of the Fox News brand. "He is angry that he does not have some ownership, that he has not been recognised for his creative act." That creative act was not just seeing that there was a substantial audience of older, conservative viewers, but one that could be broadened. "A sense of aggrievement is such an integral ingredient [in Fox's success], but it is also self-perpetuating, it creates new adherents." He said Mr Ailes, who is 75, will be protected within the organisation by Rupert Murdoch at least until his contract expires sometime in 2017, because Fox News has proved to be the most reliable generator of wealth in the organisation. Even when Mr Ailes retires, it is likely that Rupert Murdoch will decide who replaces him, said Mr Folkenflik. In his research of the Murdoch empire, Mr Folkenflik has learned that it is proper corporate etiquette in discussing succession plans by saying, "If Rupert dies" rather than "When Rupert dies." This is not to say that the announcement is not significant, said Mr Folkenflik. "It is the culmination of a plan that has been years or decades in the making," he said. "It is a strong signal to the world that this publically traded company is still a family firm. "It shows that Rupert believes the hacking scandal is in the rear-view mirror and it is fading fast." Eric Boehlert, a senior fellow at Media Matters, a non-profit established to counter what it sees as misinformation published by conservative media, agreed that he can see no immediate changes coming to Fox, which he said was on track to make $US1 billion ($1.29 billion) this year. "The last thing the [younger] Murdoch's need is showdown with Roger Ailes," he said, especially as they will be wanting to maintain share price as they take control. "They might not be Tea Party members at heart but they make a ton of money being so closely aligned with the Republican Party. "And Fox News is not just a cable channel, it is the beating heart of conservative America." But he said change is on the horizon. http://www.smh.com.au/business/media-and-marketing/will-future-bosses-james-and-lachlan-murdoch-tame-fox-news-the-beating-heart-of-conservative-america-20150611-ghm3fh.html#ixzz3iVvoGLWp __._,_.___ ------------------------------ Posted by: "Beowulf" <[email protected]> ------------------------------ Visit Your Group <https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/grendelreport/info;_ylc=X3oDMTJmcm5oM3U4BF9TAzk3MzU5NzE0BGdycElkAzIwMTk0ODA2BGdycHNwSWQDMTcwNTMyMzY2NwRzZWMDdnRsBHNsawN2Z2hwBHN0aW1lAzE0MzkzMDUzMzU-> - New Members <https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/grendelreport/members/all;_ylc=X3oDMTJnbW51anQ5BF9TAzk3MzU5NzE0BGdycElkAzIwMTk0ODA2BGdycHNwSWQDMTcwNTMyMzY2NwRzZWMDdnRsBHNsawN2bWJycwRzdGltZQMxNDM5MzA1MzM1> 1 [image: Yahoo! 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