Fox News Media announced that CEO Suzanne Scott has signed a multi-year agreement with Fox Corporation, a clear sign of support for the CEO.
Fox Corporation chief Lachlan Murdoch said of Scott in a statement: “Suzanne’s outstanding leadership and business acumen is evident in FOX News Media. Her investments in the people and purpose of FOX News have enabled us to break ratings records, build a leading multi-platform news brand and create a more collaborative and inclusive internal culture. Suzanne’s track record of success, innovative spirit and commitment to excellence makes her the ideal person to continue to lead and grow FOX News. “
Scott noted in a statement, “I am grateful to Rupert and Lachlan Murdoch for the opportunity to continue to lead FOX News Media and position all of our platforms for future success.”
Fox News recently made changes to their programming as they deal with a new political media landscape following the end of the Trump administration – showing a historic dip in ratings. The cable outlet, once dominant by ratings, was in third place for most of January, a month when CNN also enjoyed the best viewership in history. Fox’s ratings have started to normalize since the post-election lows.
Fox News talent changes are not uncommon. Mixing up a programming is standard procedure after a general election, and CNN has also moved their talent show.
Fox News is also facing lawsuits from voting system companies such as Dominion and Smartmatic, who have sued the network and three of its top hosts for $ 2.7 billion over false claims related to the election. The network staunchly stayed behind their opinion programs, reporting on alleged voter fraud, calling the lawsuit “creditable.”
Mediate reported on Monday that Scott would hold a quarterly company-wide briefing to address the state of the company she oversees, which, with this announcement, will certainly be presented from a strong and secure position in her current job.
Read the full press release below:
NEW YORK, NY – February 9, 2021 – Fox Corporation (Nasdaq: FOXA, FOX) has signed Suzanne Scott to a new multi-year contract to maintain her current role as CEO of FOX News Media, announced Lachlan Murdoch, Executive Chairman and Chief Executive Officer from Fox Corporation, to whom she will continue to report.
Making the announcement, Murdoch said, “Suzanne’s outstanding leadership and business acumen is evident in FOX News Media. Her investments in the people and purpose of FOX News have enabled us to break ratings records, build a leading multi-platform news brand and create a more collaborative and inclusive internal culture. Suzanne’s track record of success, innovative spirit and commitment to excellence make her the ideal person to continue to lead and grow FOX News. “
Scott noted, “I am grateful to Rupert and Lachlan Murdoch for the opportunity to continue to lead FOX News Media and position all of our platforms for future success.”
In May 2018, Scott was named FOX News’ first female CEO. In this role, she expanded the FOX News Channel brand into a multi-platform powerhouse now known as FOX News Media. FOX News Media includes Linear Channels, FOX News Channel (FNC) and FOX Business Network (FBN); the direct-to-consumer streaming services FOX Nation and FOX News International, launched by Scott in 2018 and 2020 respectively; FOX News Digital and FOX News Audio, both of which revamped them; FOX News Books, which Scott launched in 2020; and the upcoming platform FOX Weather, for which she announced plans in 2020.
Under her leadership, FNC was the most-watched basic cable network by 2020 for the fifth consecutive year in major half-days, becoming the first cable news network ever to end the year with more than 3.5 million viewers in prime time, the highest viewing figures in history. FNC has also remained number one in cable news under Scott for 19 consecutive years. Notably, in 2020, FOX News made television history as the first cable network to surpass broadcast primetime for a season, which FNC has maintained from Memorial Day to the present day. FOX News Media also delivered excellent financial results under Scott, marking a record year in ad sales during fiscal year 2020.
Previously, Scott was the president of programming for both FNC and FBN. In this role, she oversaw all network programming and talent management, including significantly changing FNC’s 2017 primetime lineup and running new daytime, primetime, and weekend lineups. Highly successful changes included the replacement of Bill O’Reilly with Tucker Carlson Tonight at 8:00 PM, Hannity back to the 9:00 PM time slot, and the launch of The Ingraham Angle at 10:00 PM.
She also co-created news programs anchored solo by Harris Faulkner and Martha MacCallum and took on Dana Perino in a successful journalistic role where she is now co-anchors of America’s Newsroom. In the fall of 2017, Scott expanded the network’s schedule to include 20 hours of live programming. She’s also responsible for anchoring more women and hosting shows in FNC’s lineup, which is among the most in the business.
During her tenure as CEO, Scott has also led several initiatives to promote a more transparent work environment. In September 2020, FOX News Media was officially certified a ‘Great Place to Work’ for the first time in its history, a testament to the many cultural changes Scott has made, including: establishing a diverse leadership team with women who are more than half of FOX News’ senior executives; setting up quarterly meetings with all employees; creating networking events for women and an interdisciplinary employee mentoring program; lead multiple initiatives on diversity, inclusion and equality; pioneering an internal pricing series to recognize employees at all levels; the launch of a new state-of-the-art newsroom just a stone’s throw from its office and doubling the footprint of the entire Human Resources operation.
During her 25-year career at FOX News, Scott has risen through the ranks in a number of programming, production, and creative roles after she began her tenure as a programming assistant to television assistant Chet Collier in 1996. Those roles included: executive vice president of programming (2016); senior vice president of programming and development (2009); vice president of programming (2007); network executive producer (2005); as well as associate producer, producer and senior producer of On the Record w / Greta Van Susteren (2002-2005). In addition, she was responsible for the launch of numerous on-air and digital strategies, including the primetime debut of On the Record in 2002. She began her television career with CNBC.
Scott is widely recognized for her contributions to cable television. She was named one of Crain’s Most Powerful Women in 2019 and honored by Variety as a Woman of Impact in 2020. She was also one of The Hollywood Reporter’s Most Powerful People in New York Media in 2018 and 2019 and was selected for Variety’s 2018 New Power of the New York list as well as the 2018, 2019 and 2020 Variety 500 list, an index of the most influential business leaders shaping the media industry.
She received the Police Athletic League Women of the Year award in 2019 and was also named one of Cablefax Magazine’s Most Powerful Women in Cable in 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020, and Multichannel News’ Wonder Women in 2006. Scott is a graduate of the American University with a degree in political science.
ABOUT FOX CORPORATION
Fox Corporation produces and distributes compelling news, sports and entertainment content through its iconic domestic brands including: FOX News Media, FOX Sports, FOX Entertainment and FOX Television Stations. These brands have cultural significance to consumers and commercial importance to distributors and advertisers. The breadth and depth of our footprint allows us to deliver content that engages and informs audiences, develop deeper relationships with consumers, and create a more engaging product offering. FOX has an impressive track record of success in the news, sports and entertainment industry that shapes our strategy to capitalize on existing strengths and invest in new initiatives. For more information about Fox Corporation, visit www.FoxCorporation.com.
ABOUT FOX NEWS MEDIA
FOX News Media operates the FOX News Channel (FNC), FOX Business Network (FBN), FOX News Digital, FOX News Audio, FOX News Books, the direct-to-consumer digital streaming services FOX Nation and FOX News International and the recently announced platform FOX Weather. Currently, FNC is the number one network in cable and has also been the most watched television news channel for 19 consecutive years, while FBN is currently among the top corporate channels on cable. FOX News Media, owned by FOX Corporation, reaches 200 million people every month.
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