2016’s notable media figures
The biggest names in a year full of drama, power struggles
The media world in 2016 was rife with the kind of insider drama that would have made for juicy movie plots. Media moguls found themselves embroiled in power struggles. Broadcast executives and anchors generated news of their own — some of which they’d surely prefer to keep off the air. The presidential campaign revealed the crucial and constantly evolving role the media plays in not only reporting, but also making news on its own. And social media channels emerged as a forceful player in national politics. Here’s a look at the biggest names in media from the last 12 months:
MEGYN KELLY She cemented her place as an influential broadcaster with her well-reviewed performance as a debate moderator and by standing her ground against Donald Trump, who fired back at her with what many thought to be sexist remarks. She became one of the voices supporting Gretchen Carlson and detailed sexual harassment she allegedly endured from Roger Ailes in her book, Settle for More. She remains a ratings star and could be in line for a hefty pay raise — at Fox or another network.
SHARI REDSTONE With the help of her lawyers, the daughter of billionaire media mogul Sumner Redstone seized control of Viacom this year by forcing out embattled CEO Philippe Dauman, whom she distrusted and considered ineffective, and remaking its board with new members. While her father is nominally the CEO of the family company that controls Viacom and CBS, National Amusements, Sumner Redstone is 93 and in frail health. It’s widely believed Shari Redstone is firmly in charge and will be an influential voice in the direction of the two companies. She remains on the board of Viacom after her father announced this month that he will resign his place after the company’s annual meeting in February. Sumner Redstone continues to be on the CBS board.
RANDALL STEPHENSON The AT&T chairman and CEO aims to build a vertical integrated communications and content giant with its $85.4 billion bid to acquire Time Warner, home of HBO, CNN and TNT. During the presidential campaign, then-candidate Trump said he would block the merger, but a more congenial president-elect has increased optimism for its approval. Last month, AT&T launched its cord cutter-targeting DirecTV Now television service delivered over the Internet — a spinoff of the satellite TV provider DirecTV it acquired in 2014.
JACK DORSEY Twitter, which Dorsey helped cofound, got plenty of traction during the election cycle and a lot of attention from Trump’s nearconstant tweeting habit. Election Day’s 75 million-plus election-re-
lated tweets was a record for Twitter. The incoming president’s use of the outlet “as a direct line of communication allows everyone to see what’s on his mind, in the moment. I think that’s interesting,” Dorsey has said. What would be more interesting to shareholders would be for Dorsey to find a way to help the struggling social network profit from the president-elect’s usage.
PHILIPPE DAUMAN The former chairman and CEO of Viacom was forced to leave in August after six years atop the media company after a power struggle with Shari Redstone. Dauman, who has known her father, Sumner Redstone, for decades, had portrayed Shari Redstone as an estranged daughter returning only to seize control of Viacom. But in settling, Dauman conceded to the realities of corporate ownership and the family’s waning trust in his ability. His takeaway? $93 million.
NICK DENTON The controversial journalistturned-media entrepreneur declared bankruptcy in August after his company, Gawker Media, was sued by retired pro wrestler Hulk Hogan for publishing a sex tape of him. Hogan, financially backed by Silicon Valley investor Peter Thiel, pressed on with the expensive lawsuit and won a $115 million judgment, resulting in Gawker.com’s demise. Univision bought Gawker’s other assets out of bankruptcy for $135 million.
ROGER AILES In July, the Fox News CEO left the media enterprise he helped build under the direction of billionaire mogul Rupert Murdoch in the wake of sexual harassment claims. The story may not fade anytime soon, as there’s word a Hollywood film about Ailes may be in the works.
GRETCHEN CARLSON The former Fox broadcaster single-handedly ended the turbulent but profitable reign of Ailes in July, and the network’s parent, 21st Century Fox, apologized and agreed to pay her $20 million to settle a sexual harassment lawsuit. After her lawsuit, other women stepped forward to accuse Ailes of harassment, forcing Fox to fire Ailes, albeit with a hefty severance package.
MARK ZUCKERBERG Facebook came under fire for allowing the proliferation of fake news stories that were shared over the social network. An analysis by BuzzFeed found fake stories outperformed real news stories during the final three months of the campaign cycle. Even though Zuckerberg, the company’s chairman, CEO and co-founder, called it “extremely unlikely” fake news changed the election outcome, the company has made changes to make it easier for users to flag fake news and tell whether a shared news story is legit.
JEFF ZUCKER The CNN president, who brought Trump’s The Apprentice to TV in 2004 while he served as NBC Universal CEO, found himself defending the cable news network’s coverage of Trump’s campaign. Many critics said CNN’s airing of full-length Trump rallies helped him win the nomination. Zucker said, could he do it over again, he might air less unedited footage from Trump events. In a new book, Unprecedented: The Election That Changed Everything, Zucker said CNN realized before other media outlets “that Trump had much broader appeal.”