The Loudest Voice in the Room: How the Brilliant, Bombastic Roger Ailes Built Fox News--And Divided a Country (89 page)

  
68.
Jimmy Gildea
Chafets,
Roger Ailes
, 229.

  
69.
“I told them”
Sherman, “Roger Ailes Fired His PR Chief, and Now He’s All Alone,” “Daily Intel” (blog),
New York
, Aug. 20, 2013,
http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2013/08/roger-ailes-fired-his-pr-chief-now-all-alone.html
.

  
70.
At 6:30 in the morning
Kat Stoeffel, “Fox Mole Joe Muto Says His Laptop Was Seized in Grand Larceny Investigation,”
New York Observer
, April 25, 2012.

  
71.
A year later
David Bauder, “Joe Muto, Fox News Mole, Resurfaces with Book,” Associated Press, June 3, 2013.

  
72.
“He likes to raise”
Author interview with a senior producer.

  
73.
While Fox reporters
Eric Bolling,
The Five
, Fox News Channel, Sept. 28, 2012.

  
74.
A few days before the election
Jeanette Steele and Nathan Max, “Families Differ on U.S. Response,”
San Diego Union-Tribune
, Nov. 2, 2012.

  
75.
“ELECTION OFFICIALS”
Megyn Kelly,
America Live
, Fox News Channel, Nov. 5, 2012.

  
76.
Michael Clemente had
Author interview with a person familiar with the matter.

  
77.
So when Ailes wanted
Author interview with a person familiar with the matter.

  
78.
On the day before
Fox & Friends
, Fox News Channel, Oct. 21, 2012.

  
79.
On the afternoon
Chafets,
Roger Ailes
, 240.

  
80.
Rove’s Super PAC
Nicholas Confessore, “At 40, Steering a Vast Machine of G.O.P. Money,”
New York Times
, July 22, 2012.

  
81.
“Hell, maybe Karl’s right”
Chafets,
Roger Ailes
, 240.

  
82.
At 5:00 p.m
. Author interview with a person in the room.

  
83.
About an hour later
Chafets,
Roger Ailes
, 239–46.

  
84.
One Fox executive
Author interview with a person in the room.

  
85.
Downstairs
Sherman, “How Karl Rove Fought with Fox News over the Ohio Call.”

  
86.
On air, Dick Morris
Don Frederick, “Dick Morris Stands His Ground,”
Bloomberg News
, Nov. 5, 2012,
http://go.bloomberg.com/political-capital/2012-11-05/dick-morris-stands-his-ground-romney-wins-maybe-by-landslide/
.

  
87.
In private
Author interview with a person who attended the rehearsal.

  
88.
“You’re a hero”
Author observation of Ailes at Bradley Prize ceremony, June 12, 2013.

  
89.
“When the mainstream media”
Paul Goldman and Mark J. Rozell, “Right-Wing Talk Shows Turned White House Blue,” Reuters, April 11, 2013.

  
90.
Bill Shine sent
Sherman, “Fox News Puts Karl Rove on the Bench,” “Daily Intel” (blog),
New York
, Dec. 4, 2012,
http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2012/12/fox-news-puts-karl-rove-on-the-bench.html
.

  
91.
In February
Brian Stelter, “Fox News and Dick Morris Part Ways,” “Media Decoder” (blog),
New York Times
, Feb. 6, 2013,
http://mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/02/06/fox-news-and-dick-morris-part-ways/
.

  
92.
The previous month
Brian Stelter, “Fox Says Its 3-Year Relationship with Palin Is Over,” “Media Decoder” (blog),
New York Times
, Jan. 26, 2013,
http://mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/01/25/fox-news-and-sarah-palin-part-ways/
.

  
93.
In meetings
Author interview with a person familiar with the matter.

  
94.
A day after the shooting
Gabriel Sherman, “Fox News Spikes Pro-Gun Column; Writer Told Issue Is ‘Too Sensitive,’ ”
New York
, Dec. 20, 2012.

  
95.
The reprieve ended
Noah Rothman, “
Fox & Friends:
Obama’s Inauguration Happens to Be ‘The Most Depressing Day of the Year,’ ”
Mediaite
, Jan. 21, 2013,
http://www.mediaite.com/tv/fox-friends-obamas-inauguration-day-happens-to-be-the-the-most-depressing-day-of-the-year/
.

  
96.
“This was an unyielding”
Special Inauguration Coverage
, Fox News Channel, Jan. 21, 2013.

  
97.
“The GOP couldn’t organize”
Author interview with a person familiar with the matter.

  
98.
At a speech
Roger Ailes, Roy H. Park Lecture at the University of North Carolina School of Journalism (transcript). April 12, 2013,
http://jomc.unc.edu/roger-ailes-park-lecture-april-12-2012-transcript
.

  
99.
When Ailes re-signed
Brian Stelter, “Roger Ailes Signs Up for Another 4 Years at Fox News,” “Media Decoder” (blog),
New York Times
, Oct. 20, 2012. According to the journalist David Folkenflik’s book
Murdoch’s World: The Last of the Old Media Empires
(New York: PublicAffairs, 2013), Ailes was “obsessed” with David Zaslav’s compensation. In 2012, Zaslav earned $36 million. Ailes considered leaving Fox News to join
Newsmax
with a salary of $25 million plus equity.

100.
He brought back
Joe Pompeo, “John Moody Returns to Roger Ailes, His Murdochian Wire Service in Tow,”
Capital New York
, June 7, 2012,
http://www.capitalnewyork.com/article/media/2012/06/6007210/john-moody-returns-roger-ailes-his-murdochian-wire-service-tow
.

101.
Hannity, O’Reilly
Fox News, “Megyn Kelly to Move to Primetime on Fox News Channel,” Business Wire (press release), July 2, 2013. See also Brian Stelter, “Kelly and Van Susteren Are Said to Re-Sign with Fox News,”
New York Times
, May 8, 2013.

102.
Even Sarah Palin was rehired
Brian Stelter, “Palin Is Returning to Fox News, Months After They Parted Ways,”
New York Times
, June 14, 2013.

103.
In October 2013
Mike Allen, “The New Fox News Prime-Time Lineup,”
Politico
, Sept. 17, 2013,
http://www.politico.com/blogs/media/2013/09/the-new-fox-news-primetime-lineup-172859.html
.

104.
In June 2013
Amy Chozick, “Shareholders Approve Plan to Split News Corp.,”
New York Times
, June 12, 2013. See also Chozick, “Cable Helps News Corp. Post Gains,”
New York Times
, Feb. 7, 2013; Annlee Ellingson, “It’s Official: 21st Century Fox and News Corp Split, with New Shares to Be Issued Monday,”
L.A. Biz
, June 30, 2013; and Gina Hall, “21st Century Fox Finding Its Footing After the Split from News Corp,”
L.A. Biz
, Aug. 7, 2013.

105.
The ratings
Katherine Fung and Jack Mirkinson, “Fox News Ratings: O’Reilly, Hannity See Huge Drop-Off in February Demo Numbers,”
Huffington Post
, Feb. 26, 2013,
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/26/fox-news-ratings-february-oreilly-hannity_n_2768265.html
.

106.
Ad revenue was also down
“News Corporation Reports Third Quarter Earnings Per Share of $1.22 on Net Income Attributable to Stockholders of $2.85 Billion,” Business Wire, May 8, 2013.

107.
After a News Corp
Author interview with a person familiar with the matter.

108.
Ailes at times seemed
Author interview with a person familiar with the matter.

109.
The Fox Business Network
D. M. Levine, “Neil Cavuto Wants Your Business,”
Adweek
, Feb. 7, 2012,
http://www.adweek.com/news/technology/neil-cavuto-wants-your-business-137997
.

110.
When Murdoch tapped
Author interview with a senior executive.

111.
Kevin Magee
Author interview with a senior executive.

112.
One night, the judge
Judge Andrew Napolitano,
Freedom Watch
, Fox Business Network, Nov. 11, 2011.

113.
A few weeks later
Frances Martel, “Judge Andrew Napolitano Signs Off from the Last Episode of
Freedom Watch,” Mediaite
, Feb. 13, 2012,
http://www.mediaite.com/tv/watch-judge-napolitano-sign-off-from-the-last-episode-of-freedom-watch/
.

114.
“If all the people”
Author interview with a senior executive.

115.
Shortly before
Author interview with a person in the room.

116.
In September 2009
Bio of Don Imus on Fox Business,
www.foxbusiness.com/watch/anchors-reporters/don-imus-bio/
.

117.
“Roger passed on her”
Author interview with a Fox executive.

118.
In November 2013
Bill Carter, “Maria Bartiromo to Leave CNBC for Fox Business,”
New York Times
, Nov. 18, 2013.

119.
Executives noticed
Richard Pérez-Peña, “News Corp. Completes Takeover of Dow Jones,”
New York Times
, Dec. 14, 2007; author interview with News Corp executives.

120.
In the fall of 2012
Author interview with a senior Fox executive.

121.
Rupert doesn’t have
Author interview with a former senior News Corp executive.

122.
In one meeting
Author interview with a senior Fox executive.

123.
Top News Corp brass
Author interviews with News Corp executives. See also Alter,
The Center Holds
, 65.

124.
Ailes was more isolated
Author interview with a person close to Roger Ailes.

125.
On the afternoon
Author interview with a person familiar with the matter.

126.
On August 20
Bill Carter, “Fox News Confirms the Firing of a Top Executive Who Was Once Close to Ailes,”
New York Times
, Aug. 20, 2013. See also Dylan Byers, “Roger Fires His ‘Right Hand,’ ”
Politico
, Aug. 20, 2013, and Paul Bond and Matthew Belloni, “Top Roger Ailes Adviser Fired and Escorted from Fox News Building,”
Hollywood Reporter
, Aug. 20, 2013.

127.
On August 27
J. K. Trotter, “Brian Lewis Speaks Out: Roger Ailes and Fox News Should Fear Him,”
Gawker
, Aug. 27, 2013,
http://gawker.com/brian-lewis-speaks-out-roger-ailes-and-fox-news-should-1208497354
.

128.
In September, Burstein met
Author interview with a person familiar with the matter.

129.
A month before the 2012 election
Author interview with Joe McGinniss.

130.
A few days after
Author interview with Gordon Stewart, to whom Shea later described the meeting. Shea declined to comment on the matter.

131.
In June
Gabriel Sherman, “In Kennedy Center Speech, Roger Ailes Gets Wild,”
New York
, June 13, 2013.

132.
His acceptance speech
Author’s transcript of speech given by Ailes at the Kennedy Center, June 12, 2013.

133.
senior center
Catherine Garnsey, “Town Has Good News for Seniors,”
Putnam County News & Recorder
, Aug. 7, 2013.

134.
“If I’m going to risk”
Eliza Gray, “Roger Ailes’s Border War,”
New Republic
, Feb. 22, 2013.

135.
Throughout his career
Chafets,
Roger Ailes
, 175.

136.
In June 2012
Sherman, “Roger Ailes, Upstate Press Baron, Is in a Newspaper War,” “Daily Intel” (blog),
New York
, May 31, 2012,
http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2012/05/roger-ailes-is-in-an-upstate-newspaper-war.html
.

137.
In March 2013
Kevin E. Foley, “Chamber Dinner to Honor 2013 Award Winners,”
Philipstown.info
, March 13, 2013. See also Liz Schevtchuk Armstrong, “Chamber Hosts Record Crowd for Award Dinner,”
Philipstown.info
, March 29, 2013.

138.
“Due to scheduling conflicts”
Annie Chesnut, “Elizabeth Ailes Clarifies Chamber Confusion,”
Putnam County News & Recorder
, March 20, 2013.

139.
A few months later
Author interview with Gordon Stewart.

140.
When the
PCN&R
Michael Turton, “Village Trustees Express Regret over July Fourth Ads,”
Philipstown.info
, Aug. 3, 2013.

141.
a parody website
The Pretend Putnam County News and Recorder
,
ppcnr.com
.

142.
“I have nothing”
Author interview with Gordon Stewart.

143.
Shea was up for reelection
Liz Schevtchuk Armstrong, “Philipstown Democrats Set Slate for Town Board Elections,”
Philipstown.info
, May 31, 2013. See also Eric Gross, “Erickson Joins Leonard, Van Tassel in Town Race,”
Putnam County News & Recorder
, July 7, 2013.