May 1 (UPI) — A 20-year Fox News Channel veteran and its co-president on Monday became the latest part of the network’s ongoing shakeup that was fueled over the past year by scandals involving both the outlet’s chief executive and its top-rated personality.
Co-president Bill Shine has departed Fox News, the company announced Monday, as part of several management changes. The move follows several tumultuous weeks for the network, which was shaken by groundbreaking controversies involving accusations of sexual harassment over the past year.
Involved in those scandals were former Chairman and CEO Roger Ailes and boisterous host Bill O’Reilly. Both were forced to leave Fox News last July and last month, respectively.
Shine, who joined the network upon its launch in 1996, was too closely associated with ousted chairman and CEO Roger Ailes to remain, analysts said.
“This is a significant day for all at Fox News,” network creator and executive Rupert Murdoch said in a statement. “Bill has played a huge role in building Fox News to its present position as the nation’s biggest and most important cable channel in the history of the industry. His contribution to our channel and our country will resonate for many years.”
Shine’s departure was one of several management changes the network made Monday. Executive Suzanne Scott will take over as president of Fox News programming and executive Jay Wallace was promoted to president of news at the channel.
Fox News’ public image has taken a beating over the last year. Last summer, Ailes was ousted over allegations of sexual harassment from multiple women — including former Fox News hosts Gretchen Carlson and Megyn Kelly.
Last month, host O’Reilly was dispatched amid reports that Fox News had repeatedly paid millions of dollars over the years to settle multiple sex harassment lawsuits against him.
Shine, who was accused in some of the lawsuits as an “enabler” of the harassment, has denied any wrongdoing.
Shine joined Fox News in 1996 as a producer for Sean Hannity. In 2014, he was named senior executive vice president of programming and filled the role of co-president last August.
