She continued, saying, He got a call and he said that my services were no longer needed on the air and I said, Well, they cant mean the show in 10 minutes because we all know you cant get an anchor in the chair that quickly. You know, Im gonna just go over and sit in my living room for my second show. Dont say I didnt warn you.. Melissa Franciss version of that conversation is untrue and patently absurd furthermore, it is illogical that anyone with Dianne Brandis level of experience in negotiating talent contracts for a living would make such a ludicrous statement, a network spokesperson said. She sued and won. Thats done from the studio. The network also sidestepped why Francis had been off air for the last two weeks. The New York State Department of Labor is reportedly investigating Fox News over complaints of gender discrimination and retaliation made by former host Melissa Francis. Francis lawyer says he firmly believes that her complaint regarding the gender pay gap led to her being removed. Francis, 49, a former child actress and Harvard University graduate who had covered financial news for CNBC, was first hired by Fox in 2012 as an anchor for Fox A Fox News representative denied that Brandi, who handled many talent contract negotiations during her tenure, ever made such a statement. Melissa Francis, a Fox News anchor, then said, Im not sure we need to bring George Soros into this. The Breitbart article, which was published on Thursday, quickly Have a tip or story idea? Its just a fact.. The Times reported that Francis' complaint specifically said she was underpaid compared to her male colleagues, something the Fox News spokesperson did not comment on, saying the matter was confidential. In an interview with the Post, Francis said her concerns that men were paid far more than women at Fox News were dismissed when presented to Dianne Brandi, a former top executive at the network who allegedly said, Women make less. Francis specifically complained that she was underpaid compared to her male colleagues, the Times further reportedsomething Fox News would not comment on at the time, citing confidentiality. the New York City Commission on Human Rights fined Fox News $1 million, It's Not the Role of Government to Protect Us From Apps, Don't Put Tiktok Out of Business Based on Hypotheticals, Biden Admin Uses Trump's Own Words to Blast McCarthy's Wall St. Japan Has Millions of Empty Houses. A clear pattern emerged showing male anchors were making more than women in similar roles. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. A post shared by Melissa Francis (@melissaafrancis). These changes are being made independent of any other ongoing matter., Also Read: Chris Wallace Wishes He'd Moderated THIS Debate Instead of Messy First One (Video). We parted ways with Melissa Francis over a year and a half ago and her allegations were entirely without merit, the Fox News spokesperson says. They built a studio in my home. This prompted her to compile a spreadsheet of anchors salaries at the network, seeking data from former colleagues and agents. A Fox News spokesperson at the time attributed it to the company revamping its daytime programming. WebListen to article. Im not advocating, Im telling you to mentally prepare. Francis lawyer asked Fox News to disclose the salaries of other Fox News on-air stars, which the company refused. In October 2020, Melissa Francis, a popular host on both Fox News and Fox Business, seemingly disappeared from the airwaves. This article originally appeared on HuffPost and has been updated. These changes are being made independent of any other ongoing matter.. ", Fox News did not comment on the investigation, but told the outlet that it "parted ways with Melissa Francis nearly a year ago.". The Wide Shot brings you news, analysis and insights on everything from streaming wars to production and what it all means for the future. This is how the media and Now Fox News bows down at his feet., Laura Silber, a spokeswoman for the Open Society Foundations, a philanthropic group founded by Mr. Soros, said in an email that Speaker Gingrich seemed to have his say., His fellow panelist merely pointed out that the speaker was seeking to distract viewers from the real issues at hand, Ms. Silber said. Beyond not appearing on her usual shows within the Fox News Media ecosystem, Francis also hasnt been active on social media in several days. Kevin Mintzer, Melissa Francis lawyer, declined comment on the news of the settlement, but shared with HuffPost Francis motivation behind filing the complaint. Francis was under the assumption that Brandi was no longer employed at the company and was shocked to be told that she would be conducting the meeting. But the newspaper reported that Francis had filed a gender-based pay discrimination complaint against the company which had gone into arbitration when she was taken off the air. The network has also increased the number of female managers, which include Fox News Media Chief Executive Suzanne Scott. His coverage of the television industry has appeared in TV Guide, the New York Daily News, the New York Times, Fortune, the Hollywood Reporter, Inside.com and Adweek. Francis confessed that she and Fox hadnt wrapped things up amicably, explaining to Kelly the sordid details: While preparing to do her 4 p.m. show on what ended up being her final day, Francis was notified by Mintzer that the network was letting her go. Melissa Ryan, chief executive of Card Strategies, a consulting firm that researches disinformation, said right-wing media, influencers and even elected officials frequently invoked Mr. Soross name. I talked to the show staff afterward and they were like, We had we werent told anything. Offers may be subject to change without notice. Black Teenager Shot in Kansas City, Missouri. We have also fully cooperated with the New York State Department of Labors investigation and look forward to the completion of this matter.. The report of the payment to Francis, who did not respond to a request for comment, is a setback for the companys efforts to improve its workplace image hurt by the revelations that its former chief executive Roger Ailes sexually harassed female employees. In the last tweet she posted, she predicted Trump will win. Melissa Francis was pulled off the air in Oct. 2020 amid a dispute about pay disparity between men and women at Fox, and later filed a complaint with the Department of Labor. Because of the complaint internal complaint that she made and what she did to pursue that without question.. And then if they want me not ontomorrow, whatever it is,thats fine, she told Kelly. During this time, she claimed she kept a spreadsheet comparing the salaries of others at Fox, based on her conversations with colleagues and agents. The network did not directly dispute anything in the L.A. Times story. Fox News paid Melissa Francis $15 million after pay disparity claim - The Washington Post https://t.co/77Y7eSIQx4. Kelly shifted the conversation back to Francis to discuss what happened next. At the time, Francis asserted, Brandi informed her she would not receive a compensation increase, prompting Francis to note that she had found a pretty staggering gender pay gap.. Francis, who was regularly seen on talk show Outnumbered, left the cable network amid a pay dispute in 2020. 2023 Deadline Hollywood, LLC. As co-host of one of the networks biggest shows, Outnumbered, Francis wasnt seen on her regular time slots for weeks until in late October 2020 it was announced that, after nine years with the company, she had been pushed out of the network. Contrary to Fox News false claims about a new era, what happened to Melissa shows that sexism and retaliation are still standard practice at the company. Francis said she was met with a blunt assessment. As I pursued this in the meantime, you have to remember it was Covid. 15 minutes before the 4 p.m. And I was like, Wow, okay. Conspiracies about George Soros at this point are boilerplate for any right-wing conspiracy, she said. Last October, Francis was pulled off both her regular co-hosting slot on midday roundtable show Outnumbered and her own mid-afternoon Fox Business Network program. Contrary to Fox News false claims about a new era, what happened to Melissa shows that sexism and retaliation are still prevalent at the network. Francis, a former child star who played Cassandra Cooper Ingalls on Little House on the Prairie, also filed a complaint with the New York State Department of Labor, alleging that Fox News retaliated against her after she reported pay disparities in the organization. Im not advocating, Im telling you to mentally prepare. I mean, all of a suddenthis poor show team had no ideaand they just yanked the electricity on their anchor, Francis said. Francis explained that the in-home studio Fox had designed for her was operated remotely from their studios, right down to the lighting, cameras, and prompter. The revelation about Francis settlement amount comes just months after The Daily Beast first reported that she had filed a complaint with the New York State Department of Labor, claiming that Fox News retaliated against her for pointing out the pay disparity. She is a commentator for the Fox Business Network (FBN) and Fox News (FNC). Women make less. According to the Post, Francis collected salary information from former colleagues and agents in preparation for her contract negotiation in 2019. In an interview, Francis described the events that she says led up to her being moved off the air. We have also fully cooperated with the New York State Department of Labors investigation and look forward to the completion of this matter.. Kelly, a former Fox News anchor, shared her experience with the network, saying, And I actually know for a fact that I was making more than most of my male colleagues, and that my last contract that was offered to me was definitely bigger even than OReillys. Mediaite reported in 2017 Fox offered Kelly $25 million a year for four years. DeSantis says hell reassert control over special Florida district, Writers Guild members vote to authorize strike by record margin as contract deadline nears, Vidiots returns: L.A. institution reveals opening date for new movie theater, video store, Amazons pricey spy drama Citadel to get $25-million California tax credit, The actor, the hairstylist and the eye surgeon: Drugs and death in a Malibu beach house, Have guests in town? Its just a fact. Fox News, in a statement to The Daily Beast, disputed that exchange. Fox News paid the former Outnumbered co-host a $15 million settlement after taking her off air. According to Francis, she agreed to wait until the next contract negotiation in 2019. Television journalist and commentator Melissa Francis at Fox Studios on March 18, 2015, in New York City. Mr. Soros popped up again on Friday, this time with an unusual twist: a claim that Fox News, a channel that regularly airs criticism of Mr. Soros, was working to hide his influence. As her viewers can attest, Francis co-hosted Outnumbered on Fox News and After the Bell on Fox Business until suddenly disappearing from both channels in October 2020. Facebook; Twitter; Email; FOX News Radio. Melissa Francis, a longtime business-news reporter who has been with Fox News Media since 2012, has been off the air since early October after approaching the In 2017, Bill OReilly, the networks biggest star at the time, personally paid $32 million to a contributor on his show who accused him of coercing her into a sexual relationship. 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