Roger Ailes’s State of the Business Address
Roger Ailes is giving his Quarterly State of the Business Address to FNC employees this morning. Here are some remarks from his address…
“It’s been a great ten years….we’ve defied the odds…and we should be congratulated…but every decision I make from here on in…programming, executive promotions, bookers…is about the NEXT ten years….we cannot rest on our accomplishments…and I will continue to make changes”
“Mr. Murdoch didn’t invest a billion dollars in this company so people can have jobs…he did it to WIN…he wants to win and so do I…”
“Need to focus more on taking audience away from the broadcast networks, not the other cable news networks….”
Roger Ailes has had an unmatched record of doing exactly what he says, and this is a new challenge. Some cynics may dismiss his new goal as being quixotic, but watch out. Ten years from now, we may all be surprised to see that realities have matched his dream.
Comment by RGL — September 28, 2006 @ 11:49 am
I wonder who, if anyone, amongst the Fox News on-air talent is considered expendable.
Comment by Bob — September 28, 2006 @ 11:56 am
The easier question is….”Which ones aren’t?”
Comment by Roger — September 28, 2006 @ 12:04 pm
I would think he would be more concerned with keeping the viewers they have and winning back the ones they have been loosing.
I personally have been unimpressed with the changes I have seen this week.
Comment by anon — September 28, 2006 @ 12:08 pm
Everyone is expendable except Bill O and Hannity. When you think about it, they really hold the “fort” together in prime time..
Comment by Terance — September 28, 2006 @ 12:09 pm
It makes sense to me to think big picture and go after the broadcast networks and not just cable news networks. As he said, who would have thought 10 years ago that FNC would be the ratings leader by a longshot. I’m still impressed that Geraldo is beating both NBC nightly news and CBS evening news in the NYC market (18-49 demo). Why not go after the big guys?
Comment by Buck — September 28, 2006 @ 2:02 pm
Ailes is probably talking about Fox and Friends when he talks about more changes. My guess is Bill Hemmer joining Gretson with Steve Doosy remaining as the Weather man and Kilmeade as the sports guy. More of a Today Show format by Jan. 2007 with a more serious news format.
Comment by louis — September 28, 2006 @ 2:30 pm
The goal of taking audience from broadcast nets seems strange to me…does he just mean from their half hour news shows? Because it’s going to be a tough sell to convince someone who’s watching Lost or CSI or something to watch O’Reilly or Greta instead. It’s just a little confusing to me.
Comment by Coreyback — September 28, 2006 @ 2:37 pm
#7 Thats interesting about a “Today Show format” but, Hemmer was awful in his previous morning slot…even though FNC has supplied some “miracles” with its women’s makeovers..they can’t “convert” Hemmer into a F&F success.
Comment by Terance — September 28, 2006 @ 3:02 pm
What I mean is Fox and Friends format no more . Fox News Morning or FNC:Morning
Comment by louis — September 28, 2006 @ 3:41 pm
Why would FNC abandon the format they created? (or at least the first to be successful) When Hemmer was on American Morning (about as different from F&F as you can get) he was terrible with NO personality and dry jokes.
Comment by Terance — September 28, 2006 @ 3:49 pm
In the next 10 years, we’ll probably see more erosion from the news on the broadcast networks and more movement to cable and whatever else comes down the pike.
With Hume and Gibson both in their 60s, I’m sure the basic FNC lineup in 10 years will be somewhat different.
And don’t dismiss the launch of other Fox news channels besides Business!
Comment by Ira — September 28, 2006 @ 7:35 pm
Maybe one day Fox News would launch a headline news service like CNN Headline News once was, or even the long-defunct Satellite News Channel.
Comment by Bob — September 28, 2006 @ 7:46 pm
WOW think of that…FNC doing news in the morning versus a multi-hour circus.
Comment by Stud — September 28, 2006 @ 11:11 pm