Roger Eugene Ailes was born in Warren, Ohio, to Donna Marie and Robert Eugene Ailes, a factory foreman. He later became a distinguished alumnus of Warren High School.
Roger Ailes graduated from Ohio University in 1962 with a Bachelor of Arts degree. He began his television career as a property assistant on The Mike Douglas Show in 1961, quickly rising to producer in 1965 and executive producer between 1967 and 1968. He was nominated for an Emmy in 1968.
Ailes worked on The Mike Douglas Show, where he engaged in a discussion about television and politics with Richard Nixon. Nixon recognized Ailes' talent and brought him on as a media adviser to his presidential campaign from 1967 to 1968.
In 1968, Ailes founded Ailes Communications in New York, a media production and consulting firm that worked with various politicians and businesses. He produced two Broadway plays, Mother Earth in 1972 and Hot-L Baltimore in 1973.
Ailes' success in politics led him to consult for Ronald Reagan's 1984 presidential campaign, which many believe was the deciding factor in Reagan's victory. He also coached George Bush to victory in the 1988 presidential election.
After his successful political consulting career, Ailes produced a television special called Television and the Presidency, which was later expanded into a multi-part series. He wrote a book, You Are the Message: Secrets of the Master Communicators, in 1988.
In 1993, Ailes was named president of CNBC, where he planned and executed the launch of America's Talking, a new channel that debuted in 1994. He hosted a nightly talk show, Straight Forward, on this channel.
After leaving MSNBC, Ailes was hired by Rupert Murdoch to create the Fox News Channel. Fox News quickly became the most-watched cable news network in the United States, known for its "Fair and Balanced" slogan and notable personalities like Geraldo Rivera, Bill O'Reilly, Sean Hannity, and Greta Van Susteren.
Today, Ailes remains the chair and CEO of Fox News Channel, as well as the chair of Fox Television Stations, Twentieth Television, MyNetwork TV, and Fox Business Network.
