Fox News Announces Post-Ailes Leadership Team

Abernethy is now CEO of Fox Television Stations, while Shine is senior executive VP.

Jack Abernethy (L) and Bill Shine (R).

The network also announced chief financial officer Mark Kranz is retiring. One of them, ex-anchor Gretchen Carlson, is suing him.

The developments rocked the network, the highly profitable preferred cable news provider of the American right, as its coverage of this year’s raucous presidential elections kicked into high gear. Friday’s announcement also tamped down speculation that there would be a housecleaning of top Fox executives.

Mr Murdoch has elevated Mr Abernethy from his post at Fox Television Stations (FTS), a subsidiary which controls the Fox-owned affiliate stations in nearly 30 cities in the United States. Shine will direct all programming at Fox News and Fox Business Network.

Through her lawyer, Andrea Tantaros, a Fox News broadcaster, said she complained previous year to Shine, Scott and Dianne Brandi, executive vice president of legal and business affairs, about Ailes’ inappropriate behavior toward her.

“Jack [Abernethy] was integral to the launch and success of FOX News almost 20 years ago and we’re delighted he’s returning to take on this additional role”, Murdoch said in a written statement. Rupert Murdoch, the network’s founder, made the announcement Friday. “After making more complaints to Shine and Scott over the course of the next year, Tantaros was suspended from the network in April 2016”. Fox host Andrea Tantaros told me that in 2015 she reported to Shine that Ailes harassed her; she claims his response was “Don’t fight this”.

“While this has been a time of great transition, there has never been a greater opportunity for Fox News and Fox Business to better serve and expand their audiences”, Murdoch said in a statement.

Fox News Channel executives have moved quickly to fill the void left behind by the network’s disgraced former boss, Roger Ailes.

Since Ailes’ resignation, NY magazine reported that a former booker for the network, Laurie Luhn, alleged that she’d been sexually harassed by Ailes over a period of 20 years at the network. Shine reportedly “played an integral role in the cover up” of sexual harassment allegations against former chief Roger Ailes and has been described as Ailes’ “foot soldier” and “right-hand man”.