Fox Television Group co-chairman and CEO Dana Walden addressed sexism in the industry, and recent scandals at Fox News, during her appearance at TheWrap’s annual TheGrill media conference on Monday.
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Walden and fellow co-chairman Gary Newman were asked about the continued allegations of sexual misconduct against Fox News employees, and both executives said that they believe that the company founded by Rupert Murdoch is a place that fosters advancement for women.
“As a woman in this organization, I can say that I don’t ever feel that I was discriminated against or prevented from opportunities,” Walden said. “I’ve never felt from Lachlan or James or Rupert [Murdoch] that my opportunities at this organization are limited because I’m a woman.”
But she pointed out that many old-guard media companies have issues involving gender-based discrimination.
“I have a lot of deep feelings about the industry,” Walden said. “I think if any of the boulders were turned over in any old-legacy media company, they’d probably find the same issues running around like crabs when you roll a rock. You’d find the same problems in any legacy company.”
She continued, “Times have changed. It’s no longer permissible to have sexist comments, but growing up in this industry, I spent time in many other organizations where it was just commonplace for men to talk about how a woman looks or give a woman a little bit of a harder time in a meeting and then say, ‘I’m just joking — it’s because I care about you.’ That’s any legacy business. Times have changed, and our organization is changing with the times.”
Walden also weighed in on Sunday night’s Las Vegas shooting and whether broadcast TV should be limiting violent content.
“We are providing a platform to creators who are expressing their emotions, they are expressing what they are feeling — fears, joys, terror,” she said. “That’s what art is about, and we don’t want to censor it, but neither would we permit violence which feels gratuitous or glorified to be on our platform. We have a lot of smart people who are largely advocating for gun control through their art in various manners.”
The Scene at TheGrill 2017: TheWrap's Media Leadership Conference
Co-Chairmen and CEO's of Fox Television Group Gary Newman and Dana Walden, and John Singleton.
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TheWrap's annual TheGrill media conference took place at the Montage Beverly Hills on Oct. 2 and Oct. 3.
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TheWrap's CEO and editor-in-chief Sharon Waxman greets attendees at the 8th annual TheGrill conference.
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Audience members listen to panels on the first day of TheGrill.
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Sky Moore, partner at Greenberg Glusker, Cindy Lin, CEO of Infotainment China, and President of DMG Entertainment, Chris Fenton at TheWrap's annual TheGrill conference.
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David Grinberg, partner at Sidley Austin LLP, speaks onstage at TheWrap's 8th Annual TheGrill.
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Stanley Rosen, professor of political science at USC, speaks with Sharon Waxman on stage.
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Catherine Zhang of Youku Tudou and Colin Brady of CAA discuss streaming in China with TheWrap's Matt Pressberg.
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Vicki Beck and Jan Pinkava speak with Sharon Waxman on stage.
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The Montage in Beverly Hills.
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Attendees gather around the lunch buffet at TheGrill on Monday.
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Stanley Rosen, Matt Pressberg and Cindy Lin at TheGrill.
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Ted Schilowitz of Paramount Pictures speaks at TheGrill.
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Attendees gather at The Montage for TheWrap's annual TheGrill conference.
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Sharon Waxman with Albie Hecht.
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Sharon Waxman with speakers at TheGrill.
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Kathleen Grace and Robert Goldberg speak on a panel during TheGrill.
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Audience members of TheGrill conference converse during a break.
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Virtual Reality panel at TheGrill.
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Managing director and media and technology analyst at BTIG Rich Greenfield discusses the future of media with Sharon Waxman.
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Gary Newman and Dana Walden speak with Sharon Waxman on stage.
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Michael Bloom, Robert Goldberg, Kathleen Grace, Alec Shankman and Chris M. Williams speak about multimedia platforms at TheGrill.
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ILMxLAB's Vicki Beck and Google Spotlight Stories' Jan Pinkava talk about VR at TheGrill.
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Director John Singleton before his panel at the end of TheGrill's first day.
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Audience members talk during a break at TheGrill.
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Director of International Content Cooperation of Youku Tudou Inc., Catherine Zhang, attends TheGrill.
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Founding Partner of MacInnes Scott, John MacInnes, attends TheWrap's media conference on Monday.
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UCLA's Elizabeth Joye Buda and Kate Pierce attend TheWrap's TheGrill.
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The audience watches a panel at TheWrap's media and technology conference, TheGrill.
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TheWrap's film reporter Matt Pressberg on a panel with Co-Founder and EVP of WEVR, Anthony Batt, Founding Partner of MacInnes Scott, John MacInnes and Paramount Pictures' Ted Schilowitz.
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TheWrap's Tim Molloy speaks with "Boyz N The Hood" director John Singleton
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Cocktail party on the terrace of The Montage in Beverly Hills
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Sharon Waxman and TheWrap team
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Invar CEO Elizabeth Koshi, John Singleton, and ICM's Crystal Mais at TheGrill
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Raymond Reed and Sabrina Taylor
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Attendees at TheGrill cocktail party.
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Weather Channel's Dave Shull discusses climate change with Sharon Waxman.
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Producers Nina Jacobson and Darren Throop with Sharon Waxman
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Adi Sideman at TheGrill
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Tobias Quesser at TheGrill
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Franklin Leonard discusses diversity at TheGrill
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M and A panel at TheGrill
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Paramount distribution head Megan Colligan and Lionsgate Marketing SVP Thai Randolph
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TheGrill's Innovators Panel
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TheGrill's Innovators Panel
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DreamWorks founder Jeffrey Katzenberg and Sharon Waxman
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mitu President Beatriz Acevado
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Entertainment, media and technology converge at TheWrap’s 8th Annual Grill Conference at the Montage Beverly Hills
Co-Chairmen and CEO's of Fox Television Group Gary Newman and Dana Walden, and John Singleton.