With Fox News chairman and CEO Roger Ailes in talks to leave the network amid accusations of sexual harassment by former host Gretchen Carlson, attention will soon turn to who might replace him.
An obvious choice, at least on an interim basis, would be Bill Shine, the network’s executive vice president of programming, who already oversees the No. 1 rated primetime lineup in cable news.
Other names that have surfaced among insiders and in news reports include CBS News President David Rhodes and Fox News executive Jay Wallace. Rhodes has signed a contract that would presumably keep him at CBS until at least 2019.
Fox News and 21st Century Fox did not immediately respond to separate requests for comment.
Whoever succeeds Ailes will face an urgent priority right away: Maintaining the network’s current talent roster. Bill O’Reilly, host of the top-rated “O’Reilly Factor” who’s deeply loyal to Ailes, could potentially walk if his longtime mentor is pushed out. O’Reilly has already made noises about retiring or cutting back, although it’s not clear if that talk was inspired by Ailes’ predicament.
Sean Hannity and Greta Van Susteren, two other Fox News hosts, could also bail if Ailes leaves the network, according to an insider familiar with the situation, which would leave the network scrambling for replacements.
So the immediate pressure would be on Ailes’ successor to keep Fox talent happy, and keep those programs atop the ratings.
But Ailes nevertheless left a formula in place that could endure for years.
“Fox News is a pretty well-oiled machine,” said TV historian Robert Thompson, a professor at Syracuse University.
“The whole thing that Fox News is has been invented, developed and has been cruising along in first place for 15 years,” Thompson said. “I don’t think Ailes’ continuing presence there is imperative for Fox News to keep doing what they’ve been doing.”
In fact, a change might be in order, as Fox News “appears to be not a terribly healthy place,” Thompson added, at least based on Carlson’s suit.
“I could see someone being hired from the outside,” Thompson said. “If they’re going to sever themselves from Roger Ailes and he’s going to be out of the picture, then I could certainly see the public relations advantage of making that a break that actually says something.”
The Evolution of Roger Ailes, From 'The Mike Douglas Show' to Fox News Innovator (Photos)
The television executive has evolved from producing a talk-variety show to running one of the biggest satellite news television channel in the U.S.
Fox News
Born and raised in Ohio, Roger Ailes attended Ohio University as a young man, majoring in radio and television. During his time there, he served as station manager for the university's WOUB radio for two years.
Ohio University
Ailes worked his way up to executive producer on the syndicated daytime talk show "The Mike Douglas Show," which began as a local program in Cleveland before expanding nationwide.
Westinghouse Broadcasting Company
In 1968, Ailes got an Emmy nod when "The Mike Douglas Show" was nominated for Outstanding Achievement in Daytime Programming, ultimately losing to NBC's "Today" show.After first meeting Richard Nixon on the set of "The Mike Douglas Show," Ailes was hired by the then-presidential candidate to be his media advisor during the campaign, which marked his first professional foray into politics.Ailes continued consulting on presidential campaigns, serving as media consultant for three successful Republicans: Nixon, Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush.Ailes produced the famous "revolving door" ad for Bush, which painted Democratic nominee Michael Dukakis as soft on crime. The piece was widely regarded as the most influential ad of the political cycle.In 1988, Ailes co-authored a self-help book with Jon Kraushar. "You Are the Message" shared Ailes' tips for effective communication and public performances.
Simon and Schuster
In 1992, Ailes served as executive producer on a syndicated late-night talk show hosted by right-wing radio host Rush Limbaugh, which ran for four years before coming to an end in 1996.
Ailes Productions
Ailes was named president of CNBC in 1993, where he launched the new cable network America's Talking, which was shut down and replaced with future Fox News competitor MSNBC.
America's Talking
Media mogul Rupert Murdoch hired Ailes to serve as founding CEO and Chariman of the Fox News Channel in 1996, which soon grew to become the most popular cable news network in the country.
Getty Images
In 2016, Ailes was accused of sexual harassment by ousted Fox News host Gretchen Carlson. In July, Carlson filed a lawsuit against Ailes, claiming years of inappropriate behavior and sexual advances.
Getty Images
On July 20, 2016, Ailes was forced to resign from Fox News amid the growing outcry over the sexual harassment allegations.
Getty Images
Ailes died on May 18, 2017 at age 77.
