Media Obituaries

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Roger Ailes dead at 77...

Fox News' ex-CEO Roger Ailes dead
Media titan Roger Ailes, who resigned from his positions as chairman and CEO of Fox News Channel and Fox Business Network amid sexual harassment allegations last year, has died at age 77.

Ailes resigned from Fox last summer in the wake of former Fox News Channel Host Gretchen Carlson's sexual harassment lawsuit against him. Ailes had denied the allegations from Carlson, who claimed she was fired after she refused to have a sexual relationship with the executive. Ailes founded Fox News and helped shape the modern cable news landscape in the process. Before that, he worked as a producer and also worked in politics as a consultant. In the early 1990s, he served as president of CNBC, which he left to create Fox News.

In a statement, his wife Elizabeth Ailes said, "I am profoundly sad and heartbroken to report that my husband, Roger Ailes, passed away this morning surrounded by his beautiful family. Roger was my best friend, the most wonderful loving husband and father to our son Zachary, He was a loyal friend to so many. Roger was a patriot, grateful to live in a country that gave him so much opportunity to work hard, to rise-and to give back. During a career that stretched over more than five decades, his work in entertainment, in politics, and in news affected the lives of many millions."

Roger Ailes dead at 77​

In a separate statement, multiple plaintiffs' attorney, Douglas H. Wigdor, in a lawsuit against Ailes wrote: "The sudden passing of Roger Ailes will make it difficult for Fox News to refute the allegations against him as his testimony was not secured by sworn testimony to date." No cause of death was given. Fox News hosts took to Twitter to commemorate Ailes.

Even after Ailes left the network, Fox found itself embroiled in additional sexual harassment claims. A new lawsuit earlier this year made fresh allegations against Ailes while a New York Times investigation found that multiple women received settlements after making sexual harassment claims against Bill O'Reilly. After a wave of advertisers pulled their ads from O'Reilly's program, Fox News announced he would leave the network, marking the second high-profile man to leave the network amid sexual harassment allegations.

Fox News' ex-CEO Roger Ailes dead

 

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He will be greatly missed by many.”...

Hugh Hefner, Founder Of Playboy, Dead At 91
September 27, 2017 - Playboy founder and legendary ladies’ man Hugh Hefner has died at the age of 91, according to Playboy Enterprises.

The magazine said he was surrounded by loved ones and “peacefully passed away today from natural causes at his home.” “My father lived an exceptional and impactful life as a media and cultural pioneer and a leading voice behind some of the most significant social and cultural movements of our time in advocating free speech, civil rights and sexual freedom,” Hefner’s son Cooper said in a statement. “He defined a lifestyle and ethos that lie at the heart of the Playboy brand, one of the most recognizable and enduring in history. He will be greatly missed by many.”

Hugh Hefner, the founder of Playboy, one of the most recognizable brands in the world, has died.​

Hefner’s dream of running his own magazine began while he was working as a copy editor at Esquire in 1952, and the following year he secured enough funding to launch Playboy. The December 1953 inaugural issue featured none other than Marilyn Monroe as its cover girl, and the magazine would go on to become a multibillion-dollar empire ― including TV series, websites, DVDs and endless licensed merchandise ― and one of the most recognizable brands in the world.

Playboy editor and tycoon Hugh Hefner is greeted by a group of Bunnies from his Playboy Clubs as he arrives in London in 1966.​

In the 1960s, Hefner became the public face of the company and was known for his smoking jacket, his pipe and the assurance that wherever he was, a bevy of beautiful women surrounded him. He launched a series of private key clubs that he staffed with hostesses known as Bunnies for their now-iconic uniforms that included ears and a tail. Hefner was arrested in 1963 and charged with selling obscene literature after publishing nude photos of actress Jayne Mansfield. The charges were dropped after a jury was unable to reach a verdict, but the experience led Hefner to launch the Playboy Foundation, which provided funding to groups researching human sexuality and fighting censorship.

Holly Madison, Hugh Hefner, Bridget Marquardt and Kendra Wilkinson. The reality series "The Girls Next Door" followed Hefner's relationships with the three women.​

Hefner took the company public in 1971, but by the mid-’70s, the magazine was facing more competition with the arrival of hardcore publications such as Penthouse, and circulation began to fall. In response, the magazine released its first full-frontal nude centerfold in January 1972, featuring model Marilyn Cole. The Playboy founder suffered a minor stroke in 1985, just a few weeks shy of his 59th birthday. It was an eye-opening experience for Hefner, who decided it was time to tone down his wild parties, according to the Los Angeles Times.

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An all around good guy and loving father passes on...

Chris Rosati, who spread happiness while battling ALS, dies at 46
October 18, 2017, This obituary was written on three days' notice.

Sunday night I got an email from my friend Chris Rosati. It read, in part, "I want to thank you again for everything ... I'll die Tuesday … There is a celebration of life Saturday, November 4th, if you can make it." The email was classic Rosati: Straight to the point — with an eye toward the next big thing. I first met Chris Rosati in the winter of 2013. I'd heard he wanted to steal a Krispy Kreme donut truck, drive it around his hometown of Durham, North Carolina, and give away the contents. He wanted to be a thief like Robin Hood — only with even stickier fingers. He assumed Krispy Kreme wouldn't prosecute him. Why would they lock up a dying man who just wanted to make people smile?

About a year earlier, Chris had been diagnosed with ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease. There is no cure. For Chris, who had always been a hypochondriac, the diagnosis was strangely liberating. His worst fear had been realized. Now he had nothing left to lose. Eventually the Krispy Kreme company caught wind of his plot and gave him the truck and 1,000 donuts to give away. I rode with him as he spread the sugar high. It was the first of his many adventures promoting kindness. After the donut caper, Rosati began handing out "Butterfly Grants." He would give school kids $50 each and tell them to start changing the world. The kids could spend the money on materials for a specific kindness project — or they could parlay the $50 into a larger donation by hosting a fundraiser. Dozens of schools across the country adopted the program.

School superintendent Dr. Judith Palmer brought the idea to her district in Winsted, Connecticut. Afterward, she wrote on the district website, "It is impossible to describe in words how much this program has affected those involved. I believe that most students are thirsty for ways to make a difference in the world. They do see the needs. I have found our students to be socially aware and determined to become change makers." Chris was always looking to make a difference — and always with a smile. He once talked me into doing a "skit" with him. You can click here to see the video, but be warned — it involves me wearing a lot of formal attire and Chris ends up shirtless. He may have been dying, but he could still make you laugh 'til it hurt.

Unfortunately, his final few months were not his best. He had a tracheostomy to extend his life. He wanted more time with his family. He wanted more time to spread kindness. But the trach took away his ability to speak and substantially diminished his quality of life. In his final email to me, he said the trach had turned him into a "monster." So he elected to disable the trach. Doctors did that today and Chris died hours later. He was 46. But for those who grew to love Chris Rosati, myself included, there was nothing he could do or say at the end to negate the gifts he gave. I think his daughter Logan said it best when I interviewed her for a 2014 Father's Day story. "He tried to make friends with the world. I think it's hard to do," she said. A few tears started pooling before she finished, "I'm proud of him." We're all proud of him. Chris is survived by Logan, her younger sister Delaney, and his wife Anna.

Chris Rosati, who spread happiness while battling ALS, dies at 46

See also:



Random Acts of Kindness

 

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Betty Ann Bowser, trailblazer in television news, dies at 73...

Betty Ann Bowser, trailblazer in television news, dies at 73
Mar 20, 2018 - Betty Ann Bowser was a pioneer as a female correspondent in television news and for many years, a longtime correspondent at the PBS NewsHour, where she covered hundreds of stories including the Oklahoma City bombing, life in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina and the debate over Obamacare. She died on Friday after contracting pneumonia while she was living in Mexico. She was 73.

It’s impossible to capture all that made Betty Ann unique here. But several current and former members of our staff remembered her today as a reporter known for being tough and fearless, dogged and gritty, funny, and occasionally a bit outrageous. “Betty Ann was as solid and reliable a reporter as there is, taking on assignments no matter how tough,” said our anchor and managing editor Judy Woodruff. “You could drop her in the middle of any story, and she’d figure it out quickly. I loved her dry sense of humor.” Betty Ann began her career in the Hampton Roads area of Virginia in 1966 at a local television station, WAVY. By the early 1970s, she was one of only two women working in the newsroom at WTAR where she became a co-anchor. In 1974, she went to CBS News, where she covered famine in Africa and troubles in the Middle East. She also was the co-anchor of 30 Minutes, a news magazine program that won four Emmys as well as DuPont and Peabody awards.

Betty Ann Bowser was a tough, fearless reporter and a pioneer as a television news correspondent.​

She relished working for Walter Cronkite at CBS News. She sometimes told the story of what she saw as her breakthrough there. As Betty Ann told it, she was in California shortly after President Richard Nixon resigned, when she and her cameraman decided to take a chance and check out the golf course near Nixon’s house. They found him there, and Betty Ann got one of the first post-resignation sound bites from Mr. Nixon. Walter Cronkite called to congratulate her that night, and as she put it, her career at CBS took off from there. In 1986, she started working with the NewsHour as a general assignment correspondent, reporting on major domestic stories, such as the Oklahoma City bombings. One of her producers at the time, Terry Rubin, remembers how Betty Ann filed story after story for days after the attack, and how she captured the community’s suffering when she attended a Sunday church service just blocks away from the attack at a church that itself had suffered major damage. “She had the incredible ability to endear herself to people, and they let her into their homes from the moments after the bombing to years later when she would follow up with them,” Rubin said.

Around the office, we often referred to her as BA (as she sometimes referred to herself). Informality was part of her deal in the field as well. Whether she was in Oklahoma or New York after the 9/11 attacks or capturing what happened to people in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina and the rupture of the levees, Betty Ann’s ability to connect to the people she met was a constant. “Covering Hurricane Katrina, we met a lot of people who had lost everything,” wrote Brian Gill, her cameraman for those stories. “Betty Ann was able to connect with them and win their trust time after time. People we talked to would open up to her because they knew that she cared about them and their situation. She even organized an office Christmas fund for one family so that their four kids would have a visit from Santa and the family could have some basic necessities.” She would return to New Orleans several times after Katrina. Betty Ann was especially proud of the work she did on why the levees failed after Katrina hit, including the tough questions she asked of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

Notably, she was among the first generation of female broadcasters. Her approach, her grit and her willingness to tackle any kind of story was not lost on a younger generation. “Betty Ann blazed a trail early in the news business when there weren’t many women in her spot,” said Bridget DeSimone, who worked as Betty Ann’s producer for several years. “She had an innate sense for news and knew what made a great story. She challenged us, made us laugh and taught us how to do it better.” It was after her trips to New Orleans that Betty Ann began facing more of her own struggles as well. Her personal health declined after a series of respiratory problems, some of which landed her in the hospital for weeks at a time. She lost much of her hearing and sought eventually to raise her own voice about the difficulties people with hearing loss faced. It began to weigh on her more and more. But the work motivated her. When she became health correspondent during the never-ending battles around Obamacare, she relished the challenge.

Health Producer Jason Kane was an essential member of the team throughout those years. “I’ll never forget Betty Ann’s humor and sharp wit,” Kane said. “She used to brag about pulling me from the “fields of West Virginia,” to become her apprentice on the NewsHour’s health unit. While that’s quite a stretch, working with her taught me a great deal about journalism, broadcast storytelling, compassionate interviewing and laughing through stress. She was truly one-of-a-kind.” “She always said that getting to travel around and meet regular, everyday people was the best thing, that she was really lucky to be able to call that a job,” said Sarah Clune Hartman, a producer on the health unit for several years. The list of other stories she covered over the years — ranging from the environment to economic development (including an interview with President Donald Trump long before anyone saw him as a presidential candidate) to veterans care to medical breakthroughs — is far too long to list here. Betty Ann left the program as her health worsened, and she would eventually retire in Mexico. She is survived by her two sons, Patrick and Matthew.

Betty Ann Bowser, trailblazer in television news, dies at 73