Maxwell Tani, Andrew Kirell and Asawin Suebsaeng of The Daily Beast write about how Donald Trump’s advice helped build Fox Business Network.
Tani, Kirell and Suebsaeng write, “Prior to the Fox Business Network’s debut in 2007, late right-wing cable-news chief Roger Ailes consulted with then-reality-TV star Trump on how it should look and feel, according to former Fox executives. The two maintained their relationship well into the 2016 campaign, during which the disgraced and ousted Fox News chief briefly advised Trump, the executives and a source close to Trump said.
“As longtime friends, Ailes and Trump spoke often, and during this period a frequent topic of conversation was the Fox CEO’s plans for the business network, which sought to rival CNBC, which Ailes had revamped as its president in the early 1990s.
“Trump was patched into conference calls to discuss how Fox Business should take shape, what it should focus on, and what top talent should be given marquee treatment, the former executives said.
“According to one source, Trump advised Ailes to angle the network more toward news, entertainment, and politics instead of only business coverage. It was Trump’s decade-old vision for Fox Business that would, especially during the Trump presidency, become reality.”
Read more here.
