Ailes positioned for more power at News Corp
Phil Rosenthal
Published August 7, 2005
Let News Corp. chief Rupert Murdoch's family prepare to fight over what it will get of the old man's $6.1 billion empire when he passes.
Fox News Channel boss Roger Ailes is poised to seize what he wants now.
Talk about Murdoch's true heir.
Lachlan Murdoch, 33, up and left daddy's empire in a snit the other day, making it easier for Ailes, at 65 only nine years younger than the elder Murdoch, to snag his inheritance now.
Ultra-competitive and determined, Ailes is in line to become chairman of the Fox Television Stations Group, one of the positions the kid abdicated. He'll gladly grab the reins of the group of 35 owned-and-operated stations, which includes both Chicago's WFLD-Ch. 32 and WPWR-Ch. 50.
Competitors should be trembling that Ailes is entering their realm.
This is a man who upended practically the entire TV news business in less than nine years at Fox News Channel by combining a keen eye for talent, shrewd programming moves, a revolutionary approach to coverage and take-no-prisoners marketing.
One can only guess what he plans to do with more power and greater reach.
By most accounts, Lachlan was upset over how much control he, his two siblings and older half-sister might have to share someday with the two toddlers their dad had with his latest wife. So he returned to Australia, leaving dad "particularly saddened," according to News Corp.
But it's no secret Lachlan, deputy chief operating officer of News Corp., was frustrated his father often preferred to consult Ailes and Ailes' former deputy, Jack Abernethy, who became station group CEO under Lachlan in December.
Never mind the tale of Lachlan cleaning family newspaper presses as a youth. Ailes trumps that with the story of becoming a media guru while producing "The Mike Douglas Show" in 1967, warning Richard Nixon: "Television is not a gimmick, and if you think like that, you'll lose."
He didn't. Neither did Ailes.
One need only look at Ailes' track record to understand why Murdoch would so value him.
As chairman of the stations group, Ailes will report to Peter Chernin, president and chief operating officer of News Corp., as well as Murdoch. But respectful of Ailes' bond with the top guy, Chernin--whose chances to eventually succeed the elder Murdoch improved with Lachlan's exit--has generally given Ailes a wide berth.
Ailes undoubtedly will challenge the culture within News Corp., integrating the stations more closely with the company's syndication, network and cable operations. Whether that means we'll see more of, say, Fox News' Shepard Smith on Ch. 32 is unclear.
In the meantime, don't feel too bad for Lachlan. He'll make out just fine.
Lachlan--publisher of the New York Post--is eligible for a "separation cash payment" of up to $9 million, according to filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, and could snare another $9 million in salary and bonus for fiscal 2005.
Rather than be rich and powerful, he'll simply be rich as Ailes, who shares more than mere DNA with the old man, becomes a rising son in the News Corp. family.
<snip>
Phil Rosenthal's column appears Sunday, Wednesday and Friday.
philrosenthal@tribune.com
chicagotribune.com |
