Fox CEO’s widow slams network over Tucker’s exit.

Widow of Former Fox News CEO Roger Ailes Blasts Network on His Birthday

By Johnathan Jones | May 15, 2023 at 11:30am

Elizabeth Ailes, the widow of former and longtime Fox News CEO Roger Ailes, took to Twitter on what would have been her husband’s 83rd birthday to call out the network for its recent decline. Ailes, who founded the network in 1996 and turned it into a conservative powerhouse, was forced out in 2016 amid allegations of sexual harassment and passed away months later.

Despite the network’s early success, recent weeks have seen a significant drop in ratings, with the unexpected firing of Tucker Carlson and a subsequent decline in viewership. Elizabeth Ailes didn’t hold back in her criticism, blaming Fox Corporation CEO Rupert Murdoch for destroying her husband’s legacy.

• Tucker Carlson was fired by the network unexpectedly and without explanation on April 24.
• In the weeks since he was ousted, his old time slot has fallen off a ratings cliff.
• The prime-time slot has lost more than half of its audience while Carlson’s absence has also affected other shows.

Elizabeth Ailes didn’t mince words in her tweet, saying, “It took you 20 years to build Fox News into the powerhouse that it was and only 6 years for the Murdochs to wreak havoc.” She went on to say that Rupert Murdoch thought he could do her husband’s job, but that he could never come close to Roger Ailes’ genius.

Despite the recent troubles at Fox News, Roger Ailes’ impact on the network and on conservative media cannot be denied. A prominent Republican Party political consultant before launching Fox News, Ailes had the ears of former Presidents Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan, and George H.W. Bush.

As we remember Roger Ailes on what would have been his 83rd birthday, let us also remember the impact he had on the media landscape and the conservative movement.

Johnathan Jones has worked as a reporter, an editor, and producer in radio, television and digital media. Johnathan “Kipp” Jones has worked as an editor and producer in radio and television. He is a proud husband and father.