16. “A lot of the time” Email comment from CBS News president David Rhodes.
17. “People need to be reminded” Author interview with a person familiar with the matter.
18. A few days after Author interview with a person familiar with the matter.
19. Obama’s victory Author interview with a person familiar with the matter.
20. “When he started the channel” Author interview with a former senior executive at Fox News.
21. Ailes’s battle did not end Author interviews with residents of Philipstown, New York.
22. Ailes even told his advisers Author interview with a person familiar with the matter.
23. During a forty-five-minute Author interview with a person familiar with the matter.
24. “I see the most powerful man” Author interview with a person familiar with the matter. On the same night Ailes was meeting Obama, Sean Hannity was turning the White House Christmas party into another data point in Fox’s narrative about Obama. He talked with two Fox personalities about the party: Sandra Smith, a young anchor for the Fox Business Channel, and Monica Crowley, the conservative radio host who was once an assistant to Richard Nixon in the 1990s.
“You’re saying that there was a party for the media people at the White House tonight?” Hannity said to the women.
“Yes, and I can’t believe none of us got invited,” Crowley commented. “It’s so lame—”
“Why aren’t we there?” Smith said.
“Wait a minute. Did anyone get to go?” Hannity asked.
“Uh, well, certain media organizations—” Crowley said.
“No, but, did anyone from Fox go?” Hannity said.
“I don’t know, but none of us are there. Cuz we’re workin’, tellin’ the truth about Obama,” she said.
“I didn’t get an invitation. I have never gotten an invitation,” Hannity complained. “And I saw all the liberal media at Bush’s—I went to one party in eight years when Bush was there and all the liberals showed up.”
“Yes, and us conservatives continue to get nixed by this White House,” Crowley said.
“Did anybody from Fox get an invitation?” Hannity repeated.
“Tsss, you know, I don’t know—” Smith said.
“We don’t know, either,” Hannity added.
“Maybe we will hear about it tomorrow, though,” Smith continued.
“It will be interesting,” Hannity said. “We will see.”
25. In 2002, Fox passed CNN Jim Rutenberg, “MEDIA: Gazing into 2003: The Balance of Media Power Is Poised to Change—Cable News; At CNN, Hoping for Restored Glory,” New York Times, Dec. 30, 2002. See also Carr and Arango, “A Fox Chief at the Pinnacle of Media and Politics.”
26. In 2012, a Wall Street analyst Merrill Knox, “Estimated Fair-Market Value of Fox News at $12.4B,” TVNewser, Feb. 6, 2012, http://www.mediabistro.com/tvnewser/estimated-fair-market-value-of-fox-news-12-4_b110790.
27. “No one could rein Ailes in” Author interview with a person familiar with the matter.
28. “He’s paranoid” Author interview with a person familiar with the matter.
29. In 2008, Murdoch even contemplated Gabriel Sherman, “The Elephant in the Green Room,” New York, May 22, 2011.
30. Murdoch promised Ailes Matea Gold, “Roger Ailes Extends Fox Deal,” Los Angeles Times, Nov. 21, 2008.
31. In September, the Post “Post Endorses John McCain,” New York Post, Sept. 8, 2008.
32. In 2010, Murdoch cut off Carr and Arango, “A Fox Chief at the Pinnacle of Media and Politics.” Freud released the quotation after getting into a dispute with Murdoch. Freud lobbied Murdoch to kill a story in the New York Post about a client of his PR firm, Pepsi CEO Indra Nooyi. Murdoch dismissed Freud’s requests. On the morning of January 10, 2010, Freud sent an email to Murdoch’s BlackBerry informing him of his payback: “I’ve given a quote to the New York Times, and you’re probably not going to like it.”
33. “He’s a fucking dope” Author interview with a person familiar with the matter.
34. “They all hate me” Author interview with a person familiar with the matter.
35. “He was delighted it was happening” Author interview with a person familiar with the matter.
36. He openly bad-mouthed Author interview with a person familiar with the matter.
37. “I want to elect the next” Author interview with a person familiar with the matter.
38. “Every single candidate” Author interview with a national Republican official.
39. Although Ailes told one Fox contributor Sherman, “The Elephant in the Green Room.”
40. “He finds flaws” Author interview with a person close to Roger Ailes.
41. In a meeting at Fox News Author interview with a person familiar with the matter.
42. “To be clear” Darren Samuelsohn, “Huntsman on Evolution, Warming: ‘Call Me Crazy,’ ” Politico, Aug. 18, 2011, http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0811/61656.html.
43. After finishing third Jim Rutenberg and Jeff Zeleny, “Huntsman Says He’s Quitting G.O.P. Race,” “The Caucus” (blog), New York Times, Jan. 15, 2012, http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/01/15/huntsman-says-hes-quitting-g-o-p-race/.
44. Over the course of his candidacy “The Fox Primary: 8 Months, 12 Candidates, 604 Appearances, 4644 Minutes,” Media Matters for America, Feb. 27, 2012, http://mediamatters.org/blog/2012/02/27/the-fox-primary-8-months-12-candidates-604-appe/185876.
45. pizza mogul Herman Cain “The Fox Primary: 8 Months, 12 Candidates, 604 Appearances, 4644 Minutes.”
46. Ailes twice encouraged the brash New Jersey Sherman, “The Elephant in the Green Room.”
47. Ailes also sent an emissary Bob Woodward, “Fox Chief Proposed Petraeus Campaign,” Washington Post, Dec. 4, 2012. See also “Petraeus in 2011 Fox News Interview: ‘I’m Not Running for President’ ” (audio), Washington Post, Dec. 3, 2012, http://www.washingtonpost.com/posttv/lifestyle/style/petraeus-in-2011-fox-news-interview-im-not-running-for-president/2012/12/03/c0aa0c72-3d6d-11e2-a2d9-822f58ac9fd5_video.html.
48. From the start, he’d been lukewarm Author interviews with Fox news executives.
49. Ailes told Romney once Howard Kurtz, “Roger’s Reality Show,” Newsweek, Sept. 25, 2011.
50. In another conversation Author interview with a person familiar with the matter.
51. He told one Fox host Author interview with a person familiar with the matter.
52. “Romney’s gotta rip” Author interview with a person familiar with the matter.
53. “Roger was running a political campaign” Author interview with a person close to Roger Ailes.
54. On the morning Excerpts from the Fox & Friends retrospective can be found on YouTube. See http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cq26qtY8Muo and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tmVXmO7RomI.