{"id":2412374,"date":"2025-03-11T10:30:21","date_gmt":"2025-03-11T14:30:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/fox-news-loses-a-pioneering-force-behind-the-scenes-stalwart-dies-at-age-61\/"},"modified":"2025-03-11T10:32:38","modified_gmt":"2025-03-11T14:32:38","slug":"fox-news-loses-a-pioneering-force-behind-the-scenes-stalwart-dies-at-age-61","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/fox-news-loses-a-pioneering-force-behind-the-scenes-stalwart-dies-at-age-61\/","title":{"rendered":"Fox News Loses a &#8216;Pioneering Force&#8217; &#8211; Behind the Scenes Stalwart Dies at Age 61"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">30<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Ffox-news-loses-a-pioneering-force-behind-the-scenes-stalwart-dies-at-age-61%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2412374&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Craig Savage, a respected\u200d cameraman at Fox News Channel, passed away at the age \u200cof 61 \u200cafter a lengthy battle with cancer. He joined the network shortly before its official launch and was acknowledged for his significant contributions, especially in the White House unit. Throughout\u200d his career, Savage was involved in many <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/trump-to-speak-at-cpac-in-dallas-in-july\/\" title=\"Trump to Speak at CPAC in Dallas in July\">high-profile events<\/a>, including presidential\u2063 interviews, and\u200c served as the floor camera operator at \u2062major political \u2064conventions. He was known for his <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/secstate-blinken-on-bidens-climate-agenda-americans-that-relied-on-old-industries-will-be-hit-hard\/\" title=\"SecState Blinken On Biden\u2019s Climate Agenda: Americans \u2018That Relied On Old Industries Will Be Hit Hard\u2019\">technical expertise<\/a>,ability to \u2063adapt to evolving technology,and his willingness\u2064 to\u200d <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\">assist younger colleagues<\/a>. Savage also participated\u200c in notable\u2062 military trips with\u2064 former Presidents George\u2064 W.\u200b Bush\u200d and Donald\u200b Trump. \u2062He is \u200dsurvived by his wife, Anne Marie Riha,\u2063 their \u2063children, and grandchildren.\u2062 His legacy is marked by his dedication and influence on\u2063 the careers of many \u200dwithin the network.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<section> \t\t\t\t<script>console.log(\"ad slot (AC1)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC1)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC2)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC3)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC4)\")<\/script><\/p>\n<p>Craig Savage, a longtime cameraman for Fox News Channel, died on Sunday after an extended battle with cancer. He was 61 years old.<\/p>\n<p>Savage joined the network only four days before it officially launched and &ldquo;has played a key role in its success,&rdquo; according to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/media\/beloved-fox-news-channel-cameraman-craig-savage-dead-61\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Fox News<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Though he worked largely behind the scenes, executives at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/fox-news-anchor-will-cain-receives-big-promotion-network-shakes-schedule\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Fox News<\/a> spoke highly of his contributions when they d the update with staff in a memo on Monday.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Shortly after joining the network, Craig&rsquo;s exceptional skills and creative eye were quickly recognized by our then-Washington bureau chief Kim Hume, who assigned Craig to the White House unit, a role he honorably fulfilled throughout his career here,&rdquo; FOX News Media CEO Suzanne Scott and President and Executive Editor Jay Wallace wrote.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;An integral part of numerous pivotal events in FOX News Channel&rsquo;s history, he helped shoot our first presidential interview with then-President Clinton and was subsequently involved in nearly every presidential interview thereafter,&rdquo; they continued.<\/p>\n<p> <script type=\"text\/javascript\"> \t\t\tif ( getCookie( \"ff_subbed\" ) ) { \t\t\t\tdocument.getElementById(\"stnvideo\").remove() \t\t\t} \t\t<\/script> <\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;He also ran the FOX floor camera at the 2000 and 2004 presidential conventions &mdash; an extremely challenging job that he truly relished.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Savage&rsquo;s technical expertise served him well as he worked in the White House unit.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;He was at the forefront of the industry&rsquo;s evolution from analog to digital, mastering complicated transitions to LED lighting,&rdquo; they continued. &ldquo;There, he continued his reputation as an award-winning photographer and was dedicated to perfecting the images he produced for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/only-22-of-cable-news-is-news-study\/\" title=\"Only 22% of Cable \u2018News\u2019 is News: Study\">news programming<\/a>, encompassing everything from elections to wars and natural disasters.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Savage often poured himself into &ldquo;learning the latest technologies, only to turn around and generously  that knowledge with colleagues.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>His ability to troubleshoot under pressure made him &ldquo;the go-to person for any complex challenge,&rdquo; especially at the White House.<\/p>\n<p>Savage also selflessly served the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/tragedy-fox-news-personality-dead-little-known-battle-cancer\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">network<\/a> to the benefit of his less experienced colleagues.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;In one notable instance, Craig chose to act as an engineer during a major pool trip for FOX News when then-President Clinton visited Africa, deciding to help our very young team accomplish a huge assignment instead of traveling in his traditional role, which would have allowed him to go on a safari and have a front row seat to an historic event in Africa,&rdquo; Scott and Wallace added.<\/p>\n<p><script type=\"text\/javascript\" src=\"https:\/\/video.foxnews.com\/v\/embed.js?id=6369853401112&amp;w=466&amp;h=263\"><\/script><noscript>Watch the latest video at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\">foxnews.com<\/a><\/noscript><\/p>\n<p>Savage accompanied former President George W. Bush on his surprise 2003 trip to Iraq, when the commander-in-chief visited troops stationed in the country during Thanksgiving.<\/p>\n<p>He also joined President Donald Trump in 2019 when he made a Thanksgiving trip to Afghanistan.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;His stealth and proficiency in delivering footage under the most stringent conditions were a testament to his skill and dedication,&rdquo; Scott and Wallace continued.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;He truly left an indelible mark on Fox News and shaped the careers of many.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>In recent years, Savage started working as a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/video-drone-ability-take-illegal-aliens-crossing-border-shooting-taser\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">drone<\/a> pilot, racking up hundreds of flight hours while gathering footage for Fox News at the southern border and during natural disasters.<\/p>\n<p>Savage is survived by his wife, Anne Marie Riha, who works as a senior producer at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/fox-news-humiliates-cnn-msnbc-beats-among-democrats-whopping-margin\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Fox News<\/a>, as well as his sons, Jake, Andrew, and Maxwell; daughter-in-law Alexa; stepchildren, Zachary and Carly Norins; and grandchildren, Sloane and Evander.<\/p>\n<div style=\"position: relative;\">\n<div class=\"ff-fancy-header-container\"> \t\t\t \t<\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-submit-correction inner-content\">\n<div class=\"correction-form\">\n<form style=\"display: none;\">\n<div class=\"sc-name-field\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t<label>* Name<\/label> \t\t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"text\" name=\"name\" required> \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"sc--field\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t<label>* <\/label> \t\t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"text\" name=\"\" required> \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t<label>* Message<\/label> \t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t<textarea name=\"message\" required><\/textarea> \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"required-message\" style=\"display: none; padding-bottom: 15px;\">* All fields are required.<\/div>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"submit\" value=\"Submit\" onclick=\"event.preventDefault(); firefly_sc();\"> \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"firefly-sc-confirm\" style=\"display: none;\">Success!<\/div>\n<\/p><\/form>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p> \t\t<script> \t\t\tfunction firefly_sc() { \t\t\t\tif( typeof window.captchaPublicKey==typeof undefined ){ \t\t\t\t\tconsole.error('window.captchaPublicKey is not defined'); \t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\tgrecaptcha.execute( window.captchaPublicKey, { action: 'submit_correction' } ).then( function( token ) { \t\t\t\t\tvar opts={ \t\t\t\t\t\taction:    'firefly_sc_submit', \t\t\t\t\t\tname:      document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"name\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\t:     document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\tmessage:   document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"message\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\tpost_id:   firefly_post_id, \t\t\t\t\t\tcap_token: token \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\tvar inputs=[ 'name', '', 'message' ];  \t\t\t\t\tfor( var i=0; i <inputs.length; i++ ) if( ! ( opts[inputs[i]]=document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"' + inputs[i] + '\"]' ).value ) ) { \t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .required-message' ).style.display='block'; \t\t\t\t\t\treturn; \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction input[type=\"submit\"]' ).style.display='none'; \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).src=firefly_loading_gif_url; \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).style.display='inline-block';  \t\t\t\t\tconsole.log( 'ma subbing' );  \t\t\t\t\tif( firefly_post_id ) opts['post_id']=firefly_post_id;  \t\t\t\t\t\/* Send the data using post with element id name and name2*\/ \t\t\t\t\tvar posting=jQuery.post( firefly_ajax_url, opts );  \t\t\t\t\t\/* Alerts the results *\/ \t\t\t\t\tposting.done( function( response ) { \t\t\t\t\t\tif( response.success ) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.log( response.data ); \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).style.display='none'; \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-confirm' ).style.display='block';  \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdataLayer.push( { 'event': 'submit-correction' } ); \t\t\t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t} \t\t<\/script> \t     \t\t\t\t\t\t     \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<p style=\"border: 1px solid #f5f5f5; padding: 16px;\">Advertise with The Western Journal and reach millions of highly engaged readers, while supporting our work. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/advertise-us\/?wj_source=article\">Advertise Today<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><script>console.log(\"ad slot (BA1)\")<\/script> \t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"ff-fancy-header-container\"> \t\t\t \t<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Craig Savage, a veteran cameraman for Fox News Channel, passed away on Sunday at the age of 61 after a prolonged fight with cancer. He became part of the network just four days before its official launch and was recognized as a significant contributor to its success. Although he primarily worked behind the scenes, Fox News executives praised his impact in a memo to staff. They noted that his exceptional skills were quickly acknowledged by then-Washington bureau chief Kim Hume, who assigned him to the White House unit\u2014a role he excelled in throughout his career. Savage played an essential part in many key moments in FOX News history, including filming the first presidential interview with Bill Clinton and participating in nearly every subsequent presidential interview. He also operated the FOX floor camera during the challenging 2000 and 2004 presidential conventions.<\/p>\n<p>Savage&#8217;s technical prowess was evident as he adapted from analog to digital technology and mastered LED lighting transitions. He earned recognition as an award-winning photographer dedicated to capturing impactful images for news coverage across various events like elections, wars, and natural disasters. Known for sharing his knowledge with colleagues, he became a reliable problem-solver under pressure at the White House.<\/p>\n<p>In one notable instance during President Clinton&#8217;s visit to Africa, Savage chose to assist less experienced team members instead of taking on his usual role that would have allowed him personal enjoyment at a historic event. He also accompanied former President George W. Bush on a surprise trip to Iraq during Thanksgiving 2003 and joined President Donald Trump on another Thanksgiving trip to Afghanistan in 2019.<\/p>\n<p>Savage&#8217;s ability to deliver footage under demanding conditions showcased his dedication and skill; he left an enduring legacy at Fox News while influencing many careers within the organization. In recent years, he had taken up drone piloting for gathering footage at various locations including natural disasters and along the southern border.<\/p>\n<p>He is survived by his wife Anne Marie Riha\u2014who is also a senior producer at Fox News\u2014his sons Jake, Andrew, Maxwell; daughter-in-law Alexa; stepchildren Zachary and Carly Norins; along with grandchildren Sloane and Evander<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2412375,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Craig-Savage.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[51925,32135,51924,35247,32229],"class_list":["post-2412374","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-behind-the-scenes-2","tag-fox-news","tag-influential-figures","tag-media-industry","tag-obituary"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Craig-Savage.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2412374","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2412374"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2412374\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2412378,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2412374\/revisions\/2412378"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2412375"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2412374"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2412374"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2412374"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}