Roger Ailes, the controversial, visionary founder of Fox News who was forced out of the company amid a sexual harassment scandal, has died aged 77.
Ailes, a former presidential adviser, joined the network in 1996, building it into a major conservative force in American politics.
“I am profoundly sad and heartbroken to report that my husband, Roger Ailes, passed away this morning,” said his wife, Elizabeth Ailes, in a statement published on the Drudge Report.
“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. During a career that stretched over more than five decades, his work in entertainment, in politics and in news affected the lives of many millions. And so even as we mourn his death, we celebrate his life”.
Ailes advised presidents Ronald Reagan and Richard Nixon, with whom he once plotted to bring Republican news to television.
Arguably no contemporary figure has shaped media and politics as profoundly as Ailes. A successful local TV producer who went on to become a key adviser to a succession of Republican presidents, he jumped at the chance to lead Fox News when the media mogul Rupert Murdoch launched the service in 1996.
Under Ailes, Fox became not just a cable news ratings leader but the popular voice of rightwing American politics and changed the very nature of cable news.
His shocking departure from Fox News in July 2016, after two decades of leadership, signaled the end of an era for the network, which has been in turmoil ever since.
Ailes was forced out following allegations that he sexually harassed employees including the former host Gretchen Carlson, who alleged in a lawsuit that Ailes fired her after she refused to have sex with him. She worked at the network for 11 years, and said during that time, Ailes subjected her to “severe and pervasive sexual harassment”.
He denied all allegations.
Ailes reportedly received a $40m payout for his departure and was to remain as a consultant to the network through 2018.
The departure of Ailes was followed later by that of his star presenter Bill O’Reilly, also forced out over claims of sexual harassment, which he denies.
Guardian Service