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Fox News has abandoned the slogan “Fair & Balanced,” a mainstay of the network for nearly 20 years, to distance itself from founding CEO Roger Ailes.

A Fox News spokesperson confirmed to TheWrap that the network dropped the slogan in August, but said the branding change won’t affect programming or editorial decisions.

Network insiders tell TheWrap that the move was taken in part to distance the network from the controversial tenure of Ailes, who died in May and was forced to resign from the network in 2016 after multiple women accused him of sexual harassment.

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“Fair & Balanced” hasn’t been used in any external marketing or on-air promos since late August 2016. The insider says it is simply a marketing decision and anchor Bret Baier tweeted a similar message.

It's a Promo move- "Most Watched-Most Trusted" will drive the day in ads-My show will stay "Fair-Balanced-& Unafraid" & content won't change https://t.co/726zrl8F9q

— Bret Baier (@BretBaier) June 14, 2017

Fox News has had multiple slogans during its history, including “We Report. You Decide” and “The Most Powerful Name in News.”

Coined by Ailes, the slogan “Fair & Balanced” was a marketing masterstroke that strongly defined the network, giving employees and on-air personalities a catchy way to distinguish Fox News from its competitors. It was also instrumental in obfuscating the network’s right-leaning agenda, a goal Ailes admitted to in multiple interviews during his life.

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Bill O’Reilly dominated the cable news industry for nearly two decades, finishing No. 1 in all of cable news for 16 straight years. But his sudden exit resulted in a programming shakeup at Fox News Channel.
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Fox News fired O’Reilly back in April amid sexual harassment allegations and “Tucker Carlson Tonight” was shifted from 9 p.m. ET to 8 p.m. ET to replace “The O’Reilly Factor,” while other shows were also moved as a result. Check out the 13 most-watched programs (in reverse order) on Fox News among total viewers since the new lineup debuted on April 24.
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13. “Shepard Smith Reporting”
Smith’s newscast averaged 1.5 million total viewers from April 24 through June 8 as one of Fox News Channel’s most recognizable personalities.

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12. “Happening Now”
Jon Scott and Jenna Lee averaged 1.5 million viewers, but Lee left the network earlier this month when her contract expired.

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11. “America's News HQ”
The weekday newscast is often the post-game show for Press Secretary Sean Spicer’s White House briefings and averaged 1.5 million viewers from April 24 through June 8.

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10. “Your World with Neil Cavuto”
Cavuto’s loyal fan base tunes in weekdays for his mixture of political and financial news and averaged 1.6 million viewers since the network shook up its lineup.

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9. "Fox & Friends"
Steve Doocy and Brian Kilmeade and Ainsley Earhardt co-host the morning show that is often complimented by President Trump during early morning Twitter sessions. “Fox & Friends” has averaged 1.6 million viewers, and at least one is typically in the White House.

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8. "Outnumbered"
The noon ET show features four female Fox News personalities and “One Lucky Guy” discussing the day’s headlines. Harris Faulkner and Meghan McCain are regular co-hosts of the show that averaged 1.7 million viewers from April 24 through June 8.

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7. “America’s Newsroom”
Shannon Bream replaced Martha MacCallum, who moved to 7 p.m. ET, as Bill Hemmer’s co-host on the morning show that has averaged 1.9 million viewers since April 24.

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6. “The Fox News Specialists”
Eric Bolling, Katherine Timpf and Eboni K. Williams co-host the new show that replaced “The Five” in the 5 p.m. ET timeslot. “The Specialists” has averaged 1.9 million viewers per episode with a variety of guests offering voices from both sides of the political aisle.

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5. “The Story”
Martha MacCallum originally had the 7 p.m. ET timeslot on a temporary basis for Trump’s first 100 days in office, but her show was made permanent and rebranded as “The Story” when the network revamped its schedule. She has averaged 2 million viewers per broadcast since the change.

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4. “Special Report”
Bret Baier’s nightly newscast continues to be a staple of the network’s lineup, averaging 2.2 million viewers per night from April 24 through June 8 despite new programs bookending “Special Report.”

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3. “The Five”
Greg Gutfeld, Kimberly Guilfoyle, Dana Perino, Jesse Waters and Juan Williams were shifted from 5 p.m. ET to primetime during the network’s schedule overhaul and “The Five” continued to be a ratings success, averaging 2.4 million viewers in its new slot.

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2. “Hannity”
Sean Hannity is arguably the most recognizable host on the network these days and his pro-Trump program has averaged 2.5 million viewers since “The Five” became its lead in.

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1. “Tucker Carlson Tonight”
Carlson has been the most-watched show on Fox News since replacing O’Reilly in the 8 p.m. ET timeslot, averaging 2.7 million viewers per evening.

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From Martha MacCallum to “The Specialists,” the network was forced to shake things up

Bill O’Reilly dominated the cable news industry for nearly two decades, finishing No. 1 in all of cable news for 16 straight years. But his sudden exit resulted in a programming shakeup at Fox News Channel.

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