TV Critics Snub Roger Ailes and Fox News
Wednesday, July 26, 2006 11:23 a.m. EDT
About two-thirds of the 150 attendees at a Television Critics Association’s gathering walked out of the room before Fox News Channel chairman and CEO Roger Ailes took the stage for a news conference.
Several critics even openly voiced their scorn for what they view as Fox News’ conservative spin.
But Ailes was unfazed – and enjoyed gloating.
He aired a promotional film featuring comments from critics who predicted a quick death for Fox News when it was launched in 1996, the Miami Herald reports.
Ailes then gleefully reminded the critics who did remain that Fox News has led all cable news channels in the Nielsen ratings for the past 55 months and has more viewers than CNN and MSNBC combined.
"Fox News is doing pretty well,” Ailes said with a smile, adding that many of the critics who predicted Fox’s demise were "sitting in their hotel rooms right now” instead of attending his news conference in Pasadena, Calif.
Ailes has taken charge of news operations at the 35 broadcast stations that are owned and operated by Fox, and a critic asked him to vow that "you’re not planning to inject it with that same Fox attitude.”
Ailes countered: "What are you worried about? That we’re going to do fair and balanced reporting at the local stations? I have no problem with fair and balanced reporting anywhere it’s done.”
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