The curvy couch at "Fox and Friends" was a tad more crowded Friday morning, as the cable news network celebrated its 15th year on the air. Rupert Murdoch and Roger Ailes (the two men most responsible for the network) joined loyal employees Gretchen Carlson, Steve Doocy and Brian Kilmeade to toast the network's success, reminisce about starting Fox News, and thank the gathering of employees on set who have been with the network since the beginning.
The hosts appeared especially excited to have the media moguls on set, and at times, even a bit nervous. Early in the segment, Murdoch thanked the threesome for their work which prompted Kilmeade to deferentially respond, "Well thank you very much for allowing us to sit here." After a short pause, he asked Murdoch, "So Rupert you get Roger Ailes...what makes you think this whole thing would work?"
There was another pause, and Murdoch answered, "Well I just had a hunch, you know, that there was room for another point of view...I don't like monopolies when I see them so—"
"Unless you own them," Ailes said, causing the entire couch to erupt with loud laughter. (Doocy was laughing the loudest.) Carlson then praised "Mr. Ailes" for his great sense of humor.
When asked what it was like to work for someone like Rupert Murdoch, Ailes spoke highly of the man sitting next to him.
"Rupert Murdoch is extraordinary in many ways," he said. "He really is a genius in terms of media. But more importantly, what he does is bets on people...he was always there when I needed advice or help, but really let me run it. Now, if I'd screw it up, I'd be dead!" Again, the couch exploded with laughter right before Ailes added, "fortunately, I didn't screw it up."
Murdoch also spoke about his apparent love of controversy — a good skill to have for a man currently swimming in a deep sea of it.
"If you're in media, you get into controversies, you've got to take it, just like you give it out," he said. "It's fun."
"It's fun? Kilmeade asked. "Yeah, absolutely," Murdoch answered.
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