Is Roger Ailes launching a new conservative news network?


With Fox News in turmoil after the recent ousting of its biggest ratings star, Bill O'Reilly, a person familiar with private talks among media bigwigs says there is "serious" discussion of launching a rival conservative news network, Mediaite reports.
The new network would put "the old band" back together as a response to the perception that Fox is moving too far to the left. The "pitch is that the network could immediately reach at least 85 million homes," Mediaite writes.
There are certainly plenty of (out-of-work?) conservative powerhouses to pick from that could star on a new network, and perhaps even some executives from within Fox News who might be lured by the new opportunity. Could the new channel include stars like the ousted Bill O'Reilly, who didn't waste much time hitting the podcast waves after he was fired amid a sexual harassment scandal? Could Tomi Lahren, the conservative mega star, who was recently sidelined at The Blaze also take on a prominent role? [Mediaite]
Fox News founder Roger Ailes was ousted from the network last year after sexual harassment allegations; adding to the intrigue, New York's Gabriel Sherman reports that two people close to Ailes claim he is actively exploring a new TV venture. Read the full scoop at Mediaite.
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Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.
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