The Loudest Voice in the Room: How the Brilliant, Bombastic Roger Ailes Built Fox News--And Divided a Country (80 page)

  
95.
The indoctrination began
Collins,
Crazy Like a Fox
, 79. Author interviews with persons present.

  
96.
“He put it out there”
Author interview with a former Fox News executive.

  
97.
He introduced
Collins,
Crazy Like a Fox
, 80.

  
98.
At the orientation
Author interview with Jay Ringelstein.

  
99.
“There was almost a sense”
Author interview with Mike Schneider.

100.
“I don’t expect”
Mifflin, “At the New Fox News Channel, the Buzzword Is Fairness, Separating News from Bias.”

101.
In one early session
Author interview with former Fox News producer Adam Sank. During his years at Fox, Sank remembered several incidents he experienced as being anti-gay. In the fall of 1998, when the torture and murder of gay University of Wyoming student Matthew Shepard sparked a national uproar, Moody told Fox producers that they should not play into the media narrative. “He was apoplectic about the coverage,” Sank recalled. “He said, ‘this is an insane amount of coverage that this story is getting. If this wasn’t a slow news week, no one would be paying attention.’ ” Sank was upset by Moody’s seeming indifference to the impact of the heinous crime. Months later, Sank was outraged when Bret Baier invoked Matthew Shepard during a report on a grisly Arkansas case, in which two gay men were accused of sexually abusing and murdering a thirteen-year-old boy. “Nobody except for extreme right-wing blogs was comparing it to Matthew Shepard,” Sank said. “I wanted to leave my first day, but when this happened, I knew I had to just get out.” In 2002, senior management criticized him for airing a segment about a gay pride parade in Los Angeles. “I immediately got word that the powers that be were displeased,” he recalled. His boss pulled him into an editing room and told him that Ailes and Moody thought the piece was “not fair and balanced” and that he “should have known better [than] to run a piece like that.” Sank left Fox News several weeks later.

102.
Pointing to an article
“Gay Zimbabweans Win Fight for Book-Fair Booth,”
New York Times
, Aug. 2, 1996.

103.
“Maybe the words”
Gay, “The All-News Wars Heat Up.”

104.
Fox News, the memos stated
Sella, “Red State Network.”

105.
Though credit for the slogan
Author interview with advertising executive Tom Messner.

106.
To wit
Hass, “Embracing the Enemy.”

107.
These friends of Roger
Author interview with a former Fox News executive.

108.
“I was creeped out”
Author interview with a former Fox News producer.

109.
It was not the mere fact
Author interview with a former Fox News executive.

110.
What they found
Author interview with Jordan Kurzweil and Fox News producers.

111.
“These guys were researching people”
Author interview with a former Fox News executive.

112.
“It was very Nixonian”
Author interview with a former Fox News senior producer.

113.
One source close to Ailes
Author interview with a colleague of Roger Ailes.

114.
According to broadcast consultant
Author interview with George Case.

115.
It was his theory
Author interview with a former Fox News executive.

116.
In memos to staff
Sella, “The Red-State Network.”

117.
“Power is best wielded”
Author interview with broadcast consultant George Case.

118.
Scott Ehrlich confided
Author interview with a person familiar with the matter.

119.
Fox hosts now routinely
See, e.g., John Gibson,
The Big Story with John Gibson
, Fox News Channel, April 8, 2004; Bill O’Reilly,
The O’Reilly Factor
, Fox News Channel, Oct. 25, 2010.

120.
Early on, Mike Schneider
Author interview with Mike Schneider.

121.
“I consider myself a freedom fighter”
Grove, “The Image Shaker; Roger Ailes, the Bush Team’s Wily Media Man.”

122.
According to Dan Cooper
Dan Cooper,
Naked Launch: Creating Fox News
(New York: 4 LLC ebook, 2008). Also available at
www.dancooper.tv/NakedLaunch.htm
.

123.
Rudy Nazath
, Author interview with a person familiar with the design of the Fox News studios. Ailes has denied the story. See Jim VandeHei and Mike Allen, “Roger Ailes Unplugged,”
Politico
, June 6, 2013,
http://www.politico.com/story/2013/06/behind-the-curtain-ailes-unplugged-92386.html
.

124.
“We hired Alan”
Author interview with a former Fox producer.

125.
“We thought he looked better”
Author interview with a former Fox producer.

126.
Bill O’Reilly was also
Kitman,
The Man Who Would Not Shut Up
, 170.

127.
With the launch just days away
Collins,
Crazy Like a Fox
, 81–82.

128.
That evening, the channel would host
Clifford J. Levy, “Lobbying at Murdoch Gala Ignited New York Cable Clash,”
New York Times
, Oct. 13, 1996.

129.
He called a meeting
Collins,
Crazy Like a Fox
, 82. Author interview with George Case.

130.
A Time Warner spokesperson
Masters and Burrough, “Cable Guys.”

131.
David Zaslav negotiated
Ibid.

132.
It was pouring rain
Masters and Burrough, “Cable Guys.” See also Plaintiffs’ Proposed Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law, Oct. 25, 1996,
Time Warner Cable v. City of New York
, 96-cv-7736, U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York (Manhattan).

133.
He made numerous angry calls
Masters and Burrough, “Cable Guys.”

134.
“Murdoch thought”
Ibid.

135.
Murdoch insisted
Masters and Burrough, “Cable Guys.” See also deposition of former New York City deputy mayor Fran Reiter,
Time Warner Cable v. City of New York
.

136.
“If these guys want”
Masters and Burrough, “Cable Guys.”

    
1.
News Corp’s assault
Shawcross,
Murdoch
, 412.

    
2.
“You are
immoral
” Oral argument by Clifford Thau, an outside attorney representing
Fox News.
Fox News v. Time Warner
, 96-cv-4963, U.S. District Court, Eastern District of New York (Brooklyn).

    
3.
“He called me a lot of names”
Masters and Burrough, “Cable Guys.”

    
4.
“What the hell happened?”
Ibid.

    
5.
“Chase, calm down”
Ibid.

    
6.
The launch of Fox News
Elizabeth Sanger, “Uphill Fight for Fox,”
Newsday
(New York), Nov. 7, 1996.

    
7.
The first intimation
Masters and Burrough, “Cable Guys.”

    
8.
They directed Dressler
Ibid.

    
9.
the FTC announced
Martin Crutsinger, “FTC Approves Time Warner’s Acquisition of Turner,” Associated Press, Sept. 12, 1996.

  
10.
On September 12
Martin Crutsinger, “FTC Approves Time Warner’s Acquisition of Turner,” Associated Press, Sept. 12, 1996.

  
11.
Richard Aurelio, the president
Author interview with Richard Aurelio, former president of Time Warner New York City Cable Group.

  
12.
In his negotiations
Affidavit of former Time Warner executive vice president of cable programming Fred Dressler,
Time Warner Cable v. City of New York
, 96-cv-7736, U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York (Manhattan).

  
13.
The financial terms
Letter from Rupert Murdoch to Gerald Levin, June 4, 1996.

  
14.
Of more immediate concern
Masters and Burrough, “Cable Guys.”

  
15.
After John Malone’s TCI announced
John Dempsey, “Spurned Cable Webs Revile TCI,”
Variety
, Aug. 19–Aug. 25, 1996. See also Bill Carter, “Plan to Cut TV Channel Angers Women’s Groups,”
New York Times
, Sept. 14, 1996.

  
16.
During Dressler’s negotiations
Masters and Burrough, “Cable Guys.”

  
17.
In the mid-1980s
Ibid.

  
18.
In the press
Louise McElvogue, “After Rupert,”
Guardian
(London), April 22, 1996. See also Paul Farhi, “Mogul Wrestling; In the War Between Murdoch and Turner, Similarity Breeds Contempt,”
Washington Post
, Nov. 18, 1996.

  
19.
When Turner agreed
Dennis Wharton, “Murdoch Turns Tables on Turner,”
Daily Variety
, Feb. 27, 1996.

  
20.
Murdoch listened
Masters and Burrough, “Cable Guys.”

  
21.
George Pataki
Kiley Armstrong, “Cuomo’s Defeat Could Mean Trouble for NYC Mayor,” Associated Press, Nov. 9, 1994.

  
22.
Murdoch donated
Candace Sutton (editor), Back Page,
Sydney
(Australia)
Sun Herald
, Dec. 11, 1994. See also Louise Branson, “TV’s Big Guns Fall Silent,”
Scotsman
, Jan. 4, 1997.

  
23.
The New York cable franchise
Masters and Burrough, “Cable Guys.”

  
24.
The paper had endorsed
New York Post
(cover), Oct. 29, 1993, and Oct. 28, 1994.

  
25.
Murdoch even employed
Elisabeth Bumiller, “Clash of Careers for First Lady; Donna Hanover’s 2 Roles Are Not Always Separate,”
New York Times
, Dec.1, 1995.

  
26.
It was also
Peter Grant, “20 M for Rupe’s Biz but Foes Rip City, State on News Corp. Deal,” New York
Daily News
, June 20, 1996.

  
27.
Though he officially renounced politics
Ailes Communications, “Roger Ailes for Governor? Not!” (press release), Dec. 21, 1992.

  
28.
On the evening
Author interview with a person who was present at Ailes Communications headquarters on the evening of the 1992 presidential election.

  
29.
A month later
Maurice Carroll, “Giuliani’s New Style on Display at Dinner,”
New York Newsday
, Dec. 3, 1992.

  
30.
When Giuliani took office
Author interview with a person familiar with the matter.

  
31.
On Friday, September 20
Brock, “Roger Ailes Is Mad as Hell.”

  
32.
The previous spring
Affidavit of former New York City deputy mayor Fran Reiter,
Time Warner Cable v. City of New York
.

  
33.
“Time Warner informed us”
Author interview with Fran Reiter. Much of the following
account of Reiter’s involvement in the negotiations comes from this interview.

  
34.
As part of its
News America project financing proposal, submitted to the New York City Industrial Development Agency in 1996.

  
35.
Privately, however
Author interview with Fran Reiter.

  
36.
In 1993, he had won
Beth J. Harpaz, “Giuliani Defeats Dinkins in Tight Race,” Associated Press, Nov. 3, 1993.

  
37.
“Rudy was walking into a snake pit”
Ibid.

  
38.
On Thursday, September 26
Clifford J. Levy, “An Old Friend Called Giuliani, and New York’s Cable Clash Was On,”
New York Times
, Nov. 4, 1996.

  
39.
Meanwhile, uptown
David Lieberman, “Time Warner–Murdoch Feud Heats Up,”
USA Today
, Sept. 27, 1996. See also Arthur Spiegelman, “Murdoch Pledges to Get Even with Turner,” Reuters, published in
Toronto Financial Post
, Sept. 28, 1996; and Brett Thomas, “Turner Slams Murdoch,”
Sydney Sun Herald
, Sept. 29, 1996.

  
40.
By Friday afternoon
Affidavit of Fran Reiter,
Time Warner Cable v. City of New York
.

  
41.
Over the weekend
Ibid. See also Levy, “An Old Friend Called Giuliani”; and David L. Lewis, Angela G. King, and Dean Chang, “TV Titans in Power Play,” New York
Daily News
, Oct. 20, 1996.

  
42.
On Monday morning
Opinion of U.S. District Court Judge Denise Cote, Nov. 6, 1996,
Time Warner Cable v. City of New York
,
http://www.nyls.edu/documents/media_center/the_media_center_library_u_s_cases/timewnyc.pdf
.

  
43.
Aurelio left a message
Affidavit of Fran Reiter,
Time Warner Cable v. City of New York
.

  
44.
As they spoke by phone
Author interview with Fran Reiter. See also Lewis, King, and Chang, “TV Titans in Power Play.”

  
45.
Aurelio was entering
Author interview with Richard Aurelio.

  
46.
On Tuesday, October 1
Plaintiffs’ Proposed Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law, Oct. 25, 1996,
Time Warner Cable v. City of New York
. See also Masters and Burrough, “Cable Guys.”

  
47.
Later that day
Affidavit of Fran Reiter. See also Plaintiffs’ Proposed Findings of Fact,
Time Warner Cable v. City of New York
.

  
48.
“When you’re screwed over”
Elizabeth Lesly, “The Dumbest Show in Television,”
Businessweek
, Oct. 20, 1996.

  
49.
That evening
Michele Greppi and Gregory Zuckerman, “24-Hour Channel’s Toast of the Town,”
New York Post
, Oct. 2, 1996. See also Clifford J. Levy, “Lobby at Murdoch Gala Ignited Cable Clash,”
New York Times
, Oct. 13, 1996; Masters and Burrough, “Cable Guys.”

  
50.
Giuliani called
Author interview with Richard Aurelio. See also Clifford J. Levy, “Murdoch Gets Pataki Support in Cable Fight,”
New York Times
, Oct. 9, 1996.

  
51.
On Thursday, October 3
Letter from former Time Warner general counsel Peter Haje to Fran Reiter, Oct. 3, 1996,
Time Warner Cable v. City of New York
.

  
52.
Norman Sinel
Opinion of U.S. District Court Judge Denise Cote, Nov. 6, 1996,
Time Warner Cable v. City of New York
.

  
53.
Reiter’s chief of staff
Letter from David Klasfeld, former chief of staff for Deputy Mayor Fran Reiter, to former Time Warner president Richard Parsons, Oct. 4, 1996,
Time Warner Cable v. City of New York
.

  
54.
“People who are out there”
Jane Hall, “How Fox News Plans to Challenge Cable’s Giant,”
Los Angeles Times
, Oct. 3, 1996.

  
55.
“I see no value”
Verne Gay, “The All-News Wars Heat Up,”
Newsday
(New York), Oct. 7, 1996.

  
56.
Andy Lack told
Ed Bark, “Fox Joins the Hunt in TV News,”
Dallas Morning News
, Oct. 6, 1996.

  
57.
Shortly before 6:00
Frazier Moore, “Fox News Channel Signs On—to Take On CNN and MSNBC,” Associated Press, Oct. 7, 1996.

  
58.
In the control room
Moore, “Fox News Channel Signs On—To Take On CNN and MSNBC.” See also Collins,
Crazy Like a Fox
, 82–83.

  
59.
For the opening day
Matt Roush, “Fox News Channel: Not Craft Enough,”
USA Today
, Oct. 8, 1996. See also Erik Mink, “Fox News Channel’s off to a Dizzying Start,” New York
Daily News
, Oct. 8, 1996; Tom Shales, review,
Washington Post
, Oct. 12, 1996; Collins,
Crazy Like a Fox
, 138.

  
60.
In his second-floor office
Roger Ailes, “Roy H. Park Lecture,” University of North Carolina, April 12, 2012,
http://jomc.unc.edu/roger-ailes-park-lecture-april-12-2012-transcript
.

  
61.
Unlike the executives
Author interview with a former Fox News executive.

  
62.
“He knew there were”
Author interview with Ed Rollins.

  
63.
Time Warner had previously agreed
Testimony of former New York City corporation counsel Paul Crotty,
Time Warner Cable v. City of New York
.

  
64.
“Good morning”
Testimony of Roger Ailes, Joint Public Hearing of the New York City Franchise and Review Committee (transcript), Oct. 7, 1996.

  
65.
Conspicuously missing
Matt Roush, “Fox News Channel: Not Crafty Enough,”
USA Today
, Oct. 8, 1996.

  
66.
As evidence, Ailes
Sallie Hofmeister, “He May Be Working for Someone Else, But He’s Still Ted Turner,”
Los Angeles Times
, Sept. 24, 1996.

  
67.
He called Deputy Mayor
Michael O. Allen and David L. Lewis, “Rudy: Is Ted Fit for Cable?,” New York
Daily News
, Oct. 20, 1996.

  
68.
On multiple occasions
Author interview with Richard Aurelio.

  
69.
Soon after speaking
Letter from Richard Parsons to David Klasfeld, Oct. 7, 1996,
Time Warner Cable v. City of New York
.

  
70.
Parsons publicly severed ties
David Firestone, “Time Warner Wins Order Keeping Fox off City Cable TV,”
New York Times
, Oct. 12, 1996.

  
71.
On October 9
Complaint,
Fox News v. Time Warner
, 96-cv-4963, U.S. District Court, Eastern District of New York (Brooklyn).

  
72.
New York State attorney general
Jay Mathews, “Murdoch’s News Channel Denied N.Y. Cable Outlet,”
Washington Post
, Oct. 15, 1996.

  
73.
At once, Manhattan borough president
Letter from Ruth Messinger to former New York City Conflicts of Interest Board chairman Sheldon Oliensis, Oct. 8, 1996.

  
74.
The board would dismiss
Clifford J. Levy, “City Ethics Panel Rules for Giuliani in Time Warner Cable Case,”
New York Times
, Oct. 22, 1996.

  
75.
“Disagree with me”
Levy, “Lobbying at Murdoch Gala Ignited New York Cable Clash.”

  
76.
On October 9
Clifford J. Levy, “In Cable TV Fight, Mayor Plans to Put Fox Channel on a City Station,”
New York Times
, Oct. 10, 1996.

  
77.
After receiving a tip
Masters and Burrough, “Cable Guys.” See also affidavit of Richard Aurelio,
Time Warner Cable v. City of New York
.

  
78.
“We decided”
Author interview with Richard Aurelio.

  
79.
A few minutes later
Masters and Burrough, “Cable Guys.”

  
80.
One of many
Amicus brief of Ruth Messinger, Mark Green, and Fernando Ferrer,
Time Warner Cable v. City of New York
.

  
81.
Ailes suffered the first
Firestone, “Time Warner Wins Order Keeping Fox off City Cable TV.”