LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION honoring Roger Ailes upon the occasion of receiv-
ing the 2009 Good Scout Award from the Westchester-Putnam Council of the
Boy Scouts of America

WHEREAS, It is the practice of this Legislative Body to take note of and
publicly acknowledge individuals of remarkable integrity and character
who have inspired and brought pride to our majestic Empire State with
their strong contributions to the community and model citizenship; and
WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and in full accord with its long-
standing traditions, this Legislative Body is justly proud to honor
Roger Ailes upon the occasion of receiving the 2009 Good Scout Award
from the Westchester-Putnam Council of the Boy Scouts of America; and
WHEREAS, The Chairman and CEO of FOX News Channel and FOX Business
Network and Chairman of FOX Television Stations, Twentieth Television
and MyNetworkTV, Roger Ailes began his career in television in Cleveland
and Philadelphia, where he started as property assistant, producer and
executive producer for KYW-TV, for a then-locally produced talk-variety
show, "The Mike Douglas Show"; he later became executive producer for
the show, which was syndicated nationally, and received two Emmy Awards
for it in 1967 and 1968; and
WHEREAS, In 1969, Roger Ailes founded Ailes Communications, Inc., in
New York, and consulted for various businesses and political leaders,
including WCBS-TV; he also tried his hand in theater production with the
Broadway musical, "Mother Earth" in 1972 and the off-Broadway hit play,
"Hot 1 Baltimore," which ran from 1973 to 1976 and he received four Obie
Awards; and
WHEREAS, Roger Ailes was executive producer for the television special
"The Last Frontier" in 1974, and also produced and directed a television
special, "Fellini: Wizards, Clowns and Honest Liars"; in 1984, he won an
Emmy Award as executive producer and director of a television special,
"Television and the Presidency"; and
WHEREAS, In 1991, Roger Ailes convinced a syndicator to bring Rush
Limbaugh from radio to television and became executive producer of the
late-night show; two years later, he became president of the cable chan-
nel CNBC and began planning another NBC cable channel, America's Talk-
ing, which debuted on July 4, 1994; he also hosted his own nightly show,
"Straight Forward," an hour-long talk show; and
WHEREAS, After the announcement of a partnership between Microsoft and
NBC to create an online and cable news outlet, MSNBC, taking the place
of America's Talking, Roger Ailes left the network; he was hired in
February 1996, along with 89 additional employees of the NBC networks,
by Rupert Murdoch to create Fox News Channel for News Corporation, which
launched on October 7, 1996; and
WHEREAS, In 2005, Roger Ailes was named Chairman of the Fox Television
Stations Group and one of his first acts was canceling "A Current
Affair" and replacing it with a new Geraldo Rivera show titled "Geraldo
at Large," which was canceled in 2007, allowing Rivera to move back to
Fox News Channel; he bought a local newspaper in Cold Spring, New York,
the PUTNAM COUNTY NEWS AND RECORDER in 2008, where he owns a
weekend/summer home, and also purchased the PUTNAM COUNTY COURIER in
2009; and
WHEREAS, In addition, Roger Ailes served as a political consultant for
many Republican candidates during the 1960s, 70s and 80s, beginning as
media advisor for the Richard Nixon campaign in 1968; he also served as
a consultant to Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush and Rudy Giuliani; and
WHEREAS, A native of Warren, Ohio, Roger Ailes attended the Warren
City School and was later inducted into the Warren High School's Distin-

guished Alumni Hall of Fame; he graduated from Ohio University in 1962
with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Radio and Television; and
WHEREAS, Since 1994, Roger Ailes has funded scholarships for Ohio
University students in the telecommunications programs and also gave a
sizeable donation to his alma mater for a renovated student newsroom in
2007, doubling its size to allow more students to participate in its
WOUB radio station and television programs; and
WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body that when individ-
uals of such noble aims and accomplishments are brought to our atten-
tion, they should be celebrated and recognized by all the citizens of
the great State of New York; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
honor Roger Ailes upon the occasion of receiving the 2009 Good Scout
Award, from the Westchester-Putnam Council of the Boy Scouts of America,
and to wish him continued success in all of his future endeavors; and be
it further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be tran-
smitted to Roger Ailes.