Longtime Fox News Executive Dies After Suffering Heart Attack

Roger Ailes, the longtime Fox News executive and media consultant, died on May 18, 2018, after suffering a heart attack. He was 77.

Ailes was the founder and CEO of Fox News, the cable news network that has become the most watched cable news network in the United States. He was also a powerful political figure, having served as a media adviser to three Republican presidents: Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush.

Ailes was born in Warren, Ohio, in 1940. He began his career in television as a producer and then moved into the political arena, becoming an adviser to Nixon during his successful 1968 presidential campaign. After Nixon’s election, Ailes served as a media adviser to the president.

In the 1980s, Ailes worked as a media consultant for Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush. He later formed his own media consulting firm and worked with a number of political campaigns.

In 1996, Ailes was recruited by media mogul Rupert Murdoch to create Fox News. The network quickly became a ratings hit, with Ailes’s conservative viewpoint and aggressive style of news coverage.

In 2016, Ailes was forced to resign from Fox News amid allegations of sexual harassment. He denied the allegations and was never charged with any crime.

At the time of his death, Ailes was working on a book about his life and career. He is survived by his wife, Elizabeth, and their son, Zachary.

Ailes’s death has been met with condolences from his many colleagues in the media industry, including Fox News host Sean Hannity, who said, “He wasn’t perfect, but Roger Ailes was my friend & I loved him. Not many people get to live their dream.”

Ailes’s legacy will continue to be felt in the media industry for years to come. He was a powerful and influential figure who changed the landscape of cable news and political media.