Fox News

Rupert Murdoch (1931–)

Murdoch is chairman of News Corp. Murdoch began to build a global media empire in the 1960s when he bought the British tabloid News of the World and London's Sun newspaper. In 1979, Murdoch formed News Corp. in Australia. News organizations have been at the heart of Australian American Rupert Murdoch's acquisition and expansion strategy for decades. Fox Broadcasting was created in 1986 when News Corp. purchased six U.S. television stations as the first step in developing the fourth national television network over the next several years. News Corp. launched the Fox News Channel on October 7, 1996, as an alternative to CNN, the leading cable news provider at the time. Fox News has since expanded its reach from 10 million U.S. homes to more than 90 million. The organization oversees numerous websites tied to its programs; Fox Radio News, a 24-hour radio news service; and its sister channel Fox Business Network, which was launched in 2007.

Roger Ailes (1940–)

Ailes is chairman of Fox News, chairman of Fox Television Group, and a senior advisor to Murdoch. Ailes began his broadcast news career in the 1960s in Cleveland, Ohio. A 1967 meeting with Richard Nixon while Ailes was executive producer of The Mike Douglas Show led to a successful political consulting career that spanned the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s. His most notable clients include Republican Presidents Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan, and George Bush Sr.

In 1996, Murdoch hired Ailes to run Fox News. Ailes is often credited for the channel's aggressive expansion and unconventional, conservative editorial direction. Broadcasting & Cable referred to Ailes as the “proudly capitalistic mastermind” behind Fox News. Author Scott Collins argues that Ailes's personality-driven, patriotic approach to news has revolutionized journalism.

...