The Loudest Voice in the Room: How the Brilliant, Bombastic Roger Ailes Built Fox News--and Divided a Country
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135. Ratings for the Factor Sarah Rodman, “From the Hub to Hollywood: Sex Scandal Spins Up O’Reilly Ratings,” Boston Herald, Oct. 30, 2004.
136. On Monday Ibid.
137. “About a week” Kitman, The Man Who Would Not Shut Up, 258.
138. Chernin, who held Author interviews with current and former News Corp executives.
139. Chernin also fashioned himself Wolff, The Man Who Owns the News, 45.
140. Lachlan Murdoch Details of Lachlan Murdoch’s departure from News Corp come from author’s interviews with current and former News Corp executives.
141. As deputy COO Steve Fishman, “The Boy Who Wouldn’t Be King,” New York, Sept. 19, 2005.
142. In early 2005 Jim Finkle, “Can Peter Brennan Rekindle His ‘Affair’?,” Broadcasting & Cable, Jan. 9, 2005.
143. Rejecting the show Fishman, “The Boy Who Wouldn’t Be King.”
144. “Do the show” Ibid.
145. “Rupert used to say” Author interview with television executive Mitchell Stern.
146. On Tuesday, July 26 Fishman, “The Boy Who Wouldn’t Be King.”
147. “I have to do” Ibid.
148. Three days later Sallie Hofmeister, “Murdoch’s Heir Apparent Abruptly Resigns His Post,” Los Angeles Times, July 30, 2005.
149. “There was a thinking” Author interview with Mitchell Stern.
150. In the winter David Bianculli, “A Revealing Docudrama: ‘Pentagon Papers’ Shows How Cable Outclasses Nets,” New York Daily News, March 6, 2003.
151. He called Peter Liguori Author interviews with sources familiar with the conversation.
152. Around this time The details of this conversation were related to the author by a person with direct knowledge of the exchange.
ACT V
NINETEEN: SEARCHING FOR A NEW CAST
1. On the evening of April 26 “The Reliable Source” (column), Washington Post, April 28, 2006.
2. the newest addition to the Bush Jennifer Loven, “Fox Host Tony Snow Named White House Spokesman,” Associated Press, April 26, 2006.
3. “Congratulations on your promotion” George Rush and Joanna Rush Molloy, “As Rosie Joins, Star May Take a Dim ‘View,’ ” New York Daily News, April 28, 2006.
4. “Ten years ago” “The Reliable Source” (column), Washington Post, April 28, 2006.
5. More than 2,300 Desmond Butler, “Thousands Converge on Manhattan for Anti-War Demonstration,” Associated Press, April 30, 2006.
6. “Look at these people” Author interview with a Fox executive.
7. Fox lost about 15 percent John Dempsey and Michael Learmonth, “Cable Basks in Originals’ Success,” Variety, Dec. 25–Dec. 31, 2006.
8. Keith Olbermann Countdown, MSNBC (transcript), Dec. 18, 2006.
9. That year MacKenzie Carpenter, “Anger Becomes Him,” Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Dec. 12, 2006.
10. That summer Helen Kennedy, “Hil and Rupert Dine on Sly,” New York Daily News, July 18, 2006.
11. Ailes told a reporter Roger Ailes, “A Conversation with Roger Ailes,” transcript of live interview conducted by Ken Auletta, S. I. Newhouse School of Public Communications, New York, March 31, 2005.
12. Julia Angwin Julia Angwin, “After Riding High with Fox News, Murdoch Aide Has Harder Slog,” Wall Street Journal, Oct. 3, 2006.
13. Fox’s PR department Author interview with a person familiar with the situation.
14. Later that day Joshua Chaffin and Aline van Duyn, “Interview with Rupert Murdoch and Roger Ailes,” Financial Times, Oct. 6, 2006.
15. At one point, Steve Doocy Author interview with a person familiar with the situation.
16. Ailes approached Angwin Author interview with a person who attended the event.
17. Peter Chernin expressed concern Author interviews with News Corp executives.
18. “ ‘We don’t want to give’ ” Author interview with former Fox Television Stations Inc. CEO Mitchell Stern.
19. “He needs to know” Author interview with a former News Corp executive.
20. “I was watching CNN in 2004” Author interview with a Fox employee in the room.
21. The next day David Bauder, “ABC Wins the Election-Night Ratings Race,” Associated Press, Nov. 9, 2006.
22. “We had the concern” Author interview with a former Fox News executive.
23. “Rush was kind of laughing” Author interview with a friend of Rush Limbaugh.
24. “We’re in a challenging news cycle” Chaffin and van Duyn, “Interview with Rupert Murdoch and Roger Ailes.”
25. “Roger said, ‘Let me think’ ” Author interview with Robert Ailes Jr.
26. Moody told executives Author interview with a former Fox News executive.
27. “Roger is not a news guy” Author interview with a former Fox producer.
28. A Fox contributor recalled that Moody Author interview with a friend of John Moody.
29. “He was aghast” Author interview with a person close to John Moody.
30. “I look at John” Author interview with former Fox News producer Adam Sank.
31. But, in early 2006 Author interview with a person familiar with the situation.
32. The MSNBC job Bill Carter, “New MSNBC Managers,” New York Times, June 13, 2006.
33. Kim Hume, the Washington bureau chief Author interview with a former staffer in the Washington, D.C., bureau of Fox News.
34. Fox and several other outlets Eric Deggans, “Circumstances Left Many in Media with Inaccurate Reports,” St. Petersburg Times, Jan. 5, 2006. See also John MacDonald, “Media, You Failed Me,” Arizona Republic, Jan. 8, 2006.
35. In the fall of 2006 Author interview with a former Mike Douglas producer.
36. the Los Angeles memorial “Mike Douglas Tribute Scheduled Saturday,” Los Angeles Times, Oct. 19, 2006.
37. The following spring Fox News, “Joel Cheatwood Named Vice President of Development for Fox News” (press release), Business Wire, April 5, 2007.
38. “Roger would call him Helmet Head” Author interview with a former colleague of Joel Cheatwood.
39. And at CNN Colby Hall, “Warning Shots? Glenn Beck to Poach Fox News Bigwig, Suggesting Big Plans,” Mediaite.com, March 21, 2011, http://www.mediaite.com/tv/warning-shots-glenn-beck-to-poach-fox-news-bigwig-foreshadowing-big-plans-2/.
40. Over the summer Author interview with a former Fox News executive.
41. “Roger likes things” Author interview with a Fox News executive.
42. “One person should not” Author interview with a person familiar with the matter.
43. The show typically had higher ratings Paul J. Gough, “Larry King Hot Thanks to Hilton,” Hollywood Reporter, June 29, 2007.
44. While some observers Brian Stelter, “Hannity to Go It Alone, Without Colmes,” New York Times, Nov. 25, 2008.
45. “Sean was bitter” Author interview with a former Fox News executive.
46. As the Iraq War Author interview with a person familiar with the situation.
47. “There were times” Author interview with a former senior executive at Fox News.
48. “Roger wanted the counterpoint” Author interview with a former senior Fox executive.
49. As a stopgap Brian Stelter, “It’s ‘Hannity’s America’ Starting This Sunday,” TVNewswer.com, Jan. 4, 2007.
50. “I want you guys” Author interview with a person familiar with the matter.
51. In the fall of 2008 Brian Stelter, “One Half of ‘Hannity & Colmes’ Is Leaving,” “Media Decoder” (blog), New York Times, Nov. 24, 2008, http://mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/11/24/one-half-of-hannity-colmes-is-leaving/.
52. Katon Dawson Author interview with former South Carolina Republican Party chairman Katon Dawson.
53. On February 14 Ronald Reagan Presidential Library Foundation, “Reagan Presidential Library Foundation to Host GOP Presidential Candidates’ Debate” (press release), Feb. 14, 2007, http://www.gwu.edu/~action/2008/primdeb08/reagan021407pr.ht
ml.
54. moderated by MSNBC’s Chris Matthews Liz Sidoti, “Ten Republicans Meet Thursday in First GOP Presidential Debate,” Associated Press, May 3, 2007.
55. Frederick Ryan Jr. Mike Allen, “Mitt’s Moment,” Politico, May 4, 2007, http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0507/3841.html.
56. “Roger likes to win” Author interview with Politico president Frederick Ryan Jr.
57. Fox hosts Fox News, The Five (transcript of May 3, 2012, broadcast), Finance Wire, May 3, 2012.
58. On March 8 Erik Schelzig, “Fred Thompson for President?,” Associated Press, March 10, 2007.
59. A couple of months earlier CNN, Reliable Sources (transcript), Jan. 21, 2007; John Gibson, The Big Story, Fox News Channel (transcript), Jan. 19, 2007.
60. Robert Gibbs Author interview with an adviser to President Barack Obama.
61. On March 9 Ryan Grim, “Nevada Dems Nix Fox Debate,” Politico, March 9, 2007.
62. Around this time Chafets, Roger Ailes, 27.
63. On March 29 Fox News, “Fox News and the Congressional Black Caucus Institute Present Two Presidential Debates for the 2008 Campaign,” Business Wire (press release), March 29, 2007.
64. One week later Kate Phillips, “D.N.C. Shuns Fox in Debate Schedule,” The Caucus (blog), New York Times, April 5, 2007, http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/04/05/dnc-shuns-fox-in-debate-schedule.
65. The next day Kate Phillips, “Two Democrats Avoid Debate on Fox News,” New York Times, April 10, 2007.
66. Ailes called them Author interview with a person familiar with the matter.
67. In April Russ Buettner, “In Fox News, Led by an Ally, Giuliani Finds a Friendly Stage,” New York Times, Aug. 2, 2007.
68. A study found Alex Koppelman and Erin Renzas, “Rudy Giuliani’s Ties to Fox News,” Salon, Nov. 15, 2007, citing a study by Hotline.
69. Judith Regan Russ Buettner, “Ex-Publisher’s Suit Plays a Giuliani-Kerik Angle,” New York Times, Nov. 14, 2007.
70. In 2006 Vanessa Grigoriadis, “Even Bitches Have Feelings,” New York, Feb. 5, 2007.
71. In 2002 Author interview with a person familiar with the matter.
72. Regan told the press Jonathan Bing, “The Write Stuff,” Daily Variety, Dec. 18, 2002.
73. Regan had even relocated Edward Wyatt, “O. J. Simpson Writes a Book He’ll Discuss on Fox TV,” New York Times, Nov. 15, 2006.
74. The whole thing Josef Adalian, “O.J. to Tell How He’d Murder on Fox Spec,” Variety.com, Nov. 14, 2006, http://variety.com/2006/scene/news/o-j-to-tell-how-he-d-murder-on-fox-spec-1117953915/.
75. News Corp pulled the plug Bill Carter and Edward Wyatt, “Under Pressure, News Corp. Pulls Simpson Project,” New York Times, Nov. 21, 2006.
76. Stories of her office rage Grigoriadis, “Even Bitches Have Feelings.”
77. In December Steven Zeitchik, “Regan Ousted from HarperCollins,” Variety.com, Dec. 15, 2006, http://variety.com/2006/biz/news/regan-ousted-from-harpercollins-1117955887/. See also Steven Zeitchik, “Regan’s Fate Is Unwritten,” Daily Variety, Dec. 18, 2006.
78. Accounts soon leaked Julie Bosman and Richard Siklos, “Fired Editor’s Remarks Said to Have Provoked Murdoch,” New York Times, Dec. 18, 2006. See also Josh Getlin, “Regan Was Fired After Slur, News Corp. Says,” Los Angeles Times, Dec. 19, 2006.
79. The complaint Patricia Hurtado, “Publisher Regan Says News Corp. Fired Her to Protect Giuliani,” Bloomberg News, Nov. 14, 2007. See also Judith Regan v. HarperCollins Publishers LLC, 603758/2007, New York State Supreme Court (Manhattan).
80. Giuliani’s disgraced former police commissioner Jim Fitzgerald, “Bernard Kerik Pleads Not Guilty to Corruption Charges,” Associated Press, Nov. 9, 2007.
81. Regan would later allege Russ Buettner, “Fox News Chief Is Said to Urge Lying in Inquiry,” New York Times, Feb. 25, 2011. In February 2011, The New York Times broke the news that Regan had claimed in court papers that Ailes was the unnamed News Corp executive who had urged her to lie to investigators to protect Rudy Giuliani’s presidential prospects. Blogs speculated that, now that Ailes’s name was public, he opened himself up to being indicted on obstruction of justice charges. “Roger was really scared,” a Fox executive said. “I knew because he just never talked about the news.” News Corp defended him, informing the Times that the company had a letter from Regan stating that Ailes did not intend to influence her role in the investigation. When the scandal blew over without any indictment materializing, Ailes returned to his blustery self. He called the Times a “bunch of lying scum” during a speech.
82. Susan Estrich Author interview with a person familiar with the matter.
83. Peter Johnson Sr. Gabriel Sherman, “Meet Roger Ailes’s Fox News Mouthpiece,” New York, Oct. 25, 2012.
84. “He’s the talent” Author interview with an executive involved in the negotiations with Judith Regan.
85. “Susan acted as” Author interview with a person involved in the negotiations.
86. “It’s embarrassing” Author interview with a person familiar with the matter.
87. “I need to know” Author interview with a person involved in the negotiations.
88. On January 25 Patricia Hurtado and Gillian Wee, “News Corp. Settles Suit by Judith Regan over Firing,” Bloomberg News, Jan. 25, 2008. See also Bob Van Voris and Patricia Hurtado, “Regan Accused Lawyer Dreier of Disclosing Settlement,” Bloomberg News, Dec. 10, 2008.
89. He dropped out Michael Powell and Michael Cooper, “Resurgent McCain Is Florida Victor; Giuliani Far Back,” New York Times, Jan. 30, 2008.
90. Years later Author interview with Judith Regan.
91. CNN’s prime-time audience Molly Willow, “TV Ratings Upset,” Columbus (Ohio) Dispatch, Feb. 21, 2008. See also Anthony Crupi, “Turner Nets Defy Soft Market,” Mediaweek, Nov. 6, 2008.
92. Wolf Blitzer Paul J. Gough, “In ’08, Big Headlines for Everybody,” Hollywood Reporter, Dec. 31, 2008.
93. In the fall Gabriel Sherman, “Chasing Fox,” New York, Oct. 11, 2010.
94. Griffin debuted a new tagline Linda Moss, “MSNBC Votes to Boost Politics Coverage,” Multichannel News, Oct. 8, 2007.
95. “Roger felt that as Obama emerged” Author interview with a person close to Roger Ailes.
96. The day after Clinton roared David Bauder, “Chris Matthews Says He Wronged Clinton by Tying Her Success to Husband’s Infidelities,” Associated Press, Jan. 18, 2008.
97. At Clinton campaign headquarters Author interview with a former campaign staffer for Hillary Clinton.
98. On the evening of February 7 Howard Kurtz, “Chelsea Remark Earns MSNBC Correspondent a Suspension,” Washington Post, Feb. 9, 2008.
99. In early March ABC News, Nightline (transcript), March 5, 2008.
100. On March 19 John Cook, “The Anti-Obama Emails Roger Ailes Forwards to His Underlings,” Gawker, April 19, 2012, http://gawker.com/5903082/the-anti+obama-emails-roger-ailes-forwards-to-his-underlings.
101. O’Reilly and Hannity did segments The O’Reilly Factor, Fox News Channel (transcript), March 19, 2008. See also Hannity & Colmes, Fox News Channel (transcript), March 19, 2008.
102. Susan Estrich Author interview with a person familiar with the situation.
103. an attack by John Edwards “Edwards Urges Fellow Democrats to Reject Murdoch’s Money,” Washington Post, Aug. 3, 2007.
104. the company had paid Edwards Nedra Pickler, “Murdoch’s News Corp. Says Edwards Benefited from Book Deal with the Media Company,” Washington Post, Aug. 3, 2007.
105. In May The O’Reilly Factor, Fox News Channel (transcript), May 1, 2008.
106. “She made some kind of compact” Author interview with former White House communications director Anita Dunn.
107. Another senior Obama Author interview with a senior adviser to President Barack Obama.
108. After clinching Michael Wolff, “Tuesdays with Rupert,” Vanity Fair, Oct. 2008. See also Howard Kurtz, “Obama Met with News Executives,” Washington P
ost, Sept. 3, 2008; author interview with Stephen Rosenfield, who recounted Ailes’s description of the meeting.
109. A few weeks later Sherman, “The Elephant in the Green Room.”
110. Ailes responded CQ Transcripts, “Senator Barack Obama Delivers Remarks at a Campaign Event” (transcript), July 2, 2008.
111. He later said Sherman, “The Elephant in the Green Room.”
112. “He doesn’t have the charisma” Author interview with a former Fox News executive.
113. In January “New York Post Endorses Obama for President, Snubs Home-Town Senator,” Associated Press, Jan. 30, 2008.
114. In a preview of Wolff, “Tuesdays with Rupert.”
115. “Is this true?” Gabriel Sherman, “The Raging Septuagenarian,” New York, Feb. 28, 2010.
116. Murdoch assured Matea Gold, “Roger Ailes Extends Fox Deal,” Los Angeles Times, Nov. 21, 2008.
117. “That was the beginning” Author interview with an adviser to Rupert Murdoch.
118. “As Ginsberg was blowing up” Author interview with a former Fox executive.
119. Any speculation “Post Endorses John McCain,” New York Post, Sept. 8, 2008.
120. Within the next year Tim Arango, “An Adviser to Murdoch Is Leaving News Corp.,” New York Times, Nov. 17, 2009.
121. “Roger took credit” Author interview with a Fox News executive.
122. “She hit a home run” Author interview with a person familiar with the matter.
123. During Palin’s speech Anthony Crupi, “RNC Coverage Lifts Fox News Channel to Ratings Win,” Mediaweek, Sept. 9, 2008.
124. He was intensely interested Sherman, “The Elephant in the Green Room.”
125. Ailes didn’t know Walshe Author interview with a person familiar with the situation.
126. He called Suzanne Scott Author interview with a person familiar with the matter.
127. Ratings for his CNN Robyn-Denise Yourse, “Arts Etc.; Tuning in to TV,” Washington Times, Oct. 21, 2008. See also Brian Stelter, “For Conservative Radio, It’s a New Dawn, Too,” New York Times, Dec. 22, 2008.
128. As they spoke Author interview with a person familiar with the matter.
129. Fox executives dubbed Author interview with a person familiar with the matter.