Fox News Chairman Roger Ailes is reportedly "on the warpath” about his network’s recent ratings slide – and has given notice to staffers that he’s willing to clean house, according to a report in Broadcasting & Cable.
The cable news channel’s overall prime-time ratings are off 8 percent in the second quarter of this year, and down 22 percent in viewers ages 25 to 54. The first quarter was also disappointing.
Rival CNN is also down, but only 2 percent overall in the second quarter and 18 percent in the 25-54 age group.
Ailes is said to be "fuming” over what he views as complacency among staffers, according to B&C.
He feels production values are slipping and bookers aren’t aggressive enough, relying too heavily on the same faces.
A full-page "Now Hiring” ad that ran recently in a trade magazine asked, "Can you make the cut?”
Broadcasting & Cable reports that a Fox staffer said the question was not addressed to outside applicants. "That was aimed inside.”
An Ailes spokesman declared: "Anyone who displays launch-type intensity will continue to have a job at Fox News. Those who don’t will not. And that includes talent.”
