Fox News’ Magee Expands Turf, Gets Biz Channel

By John M. Higgins -- Broadcasting & Cable, 10/30/2006 6:13:00 PM

Fox News expanded the portfolio of radio syndication chief Kevin Magee, naming him executive VP and putting him in charge of both a new syndicated morning TV show and the planned Fox Business Channel. He will continue to report to Chairman Roger Ailes.

Magee has been a rising star at Fox News since jumping over in 2001 from CNBC where he was executive producer of business news. He spent four years as vice president of programming there and was given the Fox News Radio venture in 2005. That is a pet project of Ailes who watches other talk radio syndicators make tens of millions of dollars packaging the shows of the TV network’s top talent.

The syndicated morning show is another pet project of Ailes’, who last year took charge of the company’s Fox TV Stations group and wants to use them to extend the cable network’s programming operation. The business channel is more of a pet project of News Corp. Chairman Rupert Murdoch, and Ailes has been slow to move, waiting until he’s sure he can line up cable and satellite TV distribution. In announcing the promotion, Fox News says Magee will be the executive in charge of the proposed business channel “in the event distribution is secured for its launch.”