NBC Reports Roger Ailes, Who Made Fox “A Political Powerhouse,” Is “On His Way Out”

Lester Holt: Ailes Has Been “A Towering Force In Media And Republican Politics For Decades,” Now “Ousted” Over Sexual Harassment Claims

From the July 19 edition of NBC's Nightly News with Lester Holt:

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​LESTER HOLT (HOST): Tonight 21st Century Fox is denying reports swirling that the legendary head of Fox News, Roger Ailes has been ousted. The company says an internal review is ongoing after a former anchor's stunning sexual harassment allegations against Ailes, who has been a towering force in media and Republican politics for decades, even before the existence of Fox News. NBC's Cynthia McFadden has late details.

CYNTHIA MCFADDEN: Reports circulating tonight that Fox News CEO and Chairman Roger Ailes is on his way out. This in the wake of a highly publicized claim of sexual harassment by former Fox Anchor Gretchen Carlson, who says that Ailes fired her in June after she rebuffed his advances, a claim that Ailes denies. Ailes is widely credited with turning the cable giant into the financial and political power house it is today with revenues last year of more than a billion dollars.

MICHAEL WOLFF: Ailes is Fox News, there's not a detail of Fox News that Ailes does not have his fingers on. He is the person who is most central to his organization and the product it produces.

MCFADDEN: Ailes' rise included working as a media consultant with a Mt. Rushmore of Republican presidents, Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush. But in becoming the founding CEO of Fox News, he solidified his reputation as a king maker, working closely with Rupert Murdoch, the executive chairman of 21st Century Fox.

WOLFF: It has always been a good working relationship. Roger Ailes provides the one thing that Rupert Murdoch likes most and really can't do without, which is money, an enormous amount of money.

MCFADDEN: A year ago, Murdoch put his sons Lachlan and James in charge of Fox News. A source with direct knowledge of the situation told NBC News the brothers wanted Ailes out, even back then.

Today, the Drudge Report posted a document that purported to be the $40 million separation agreement between Ailes and 21st Century Fox. The document was almost immediately taken down. The company followed with a statement tweeted out soon thereafter.

Previously:

How Fox News Reported On New Developments In CEO Roger Ailes' Sexual Harassment Scandal

UPDATED: Media Reporting That Roger Ailes Is Leaving Fox News

The Guardian: Firing Ailes “Can’t Turn Around The Mess Of Misogyny That Is Fox News”

“Almost No One Saw [This] Coming”: Fox's Trump Introduction Amid Ailes Departure Stories