Sarah Palin Angered Fox News Chief by Announcing Non-Candidacy Plans on Radio
Fox News’ darling Sara Palin may be on the outs with Roger Ailes, the network’s chief executive.
According to a post by Gabe Sherman, a New York Magazine contributing editor, Ailes was livid with Palin because she did not announce her presidential plans on Fox News.
The 2008 vice presidential nominee reportedly angered Ailes when she announced her decision not to run in the 2012 Presidential election on Mark Levin’s conservative radio show instead.
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According to New York Magazine, Palin made the decision to announce her non-presidency on Levin’s show because he was a big Palin supporter, and partly out of spite.
“[H]e was livid that Palin made the October 5 announcement on Mark Levin's conservative talk-radio program, robbing Fox News of an exclusive and a possible ratings bonanza,” wrote Sherman.
Sara Palin has been a frequent pundit on the Fox News Channel. She often appears on Fox News “The Sean Hannity Show” and “On the Record with Great Van Susteren.”
Palin was apparently upset with Ailes and the Fox network for giving too much airtime to Karl Rove, who is one of her biggest detractors.
“Fox was relegated to getting a follow-up interview with Palin on Greta Van Susteren's 10 p.m. show, after the news of Palin's decision had been drowned out by Steve Jobs' death. Ailes was so mad, he considered pulling her off the air entirely until her $1 million annual contract expires in 2013,” Sherman added.
The former Alaska governor signed a multiyear deal with Fox News in January 2011 to offer her political commentary and analysis across all Fox News platforms, including Fox Business Channel, FoxNews.com and Fox News Radio.
The last bit of political drama to be wrung out of the Palin saga, Sherman noted, concerns which of the 2012 hopefuls Palin will endorse. There is still no word if it is going to be a Fox News exclusive.
