Suzanne Scott currently serves as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of FOX News Media, which encompasses the two linear networks FOX News Channel (FNC) and FOX Business Network (FBN), as well as FOX News Digital, FOX News Audio, FOX News Books, the direct-to-consumer subscription streaming services FOX Nation and FOX News International, as well as the ad-supported streaming platform, FOX Weather. In 2021, Forbes named Ms. Scott one of the 100 Most Powerful Women in Media and Entertainment.
In this capacity, Ms. Scott oversees the most successful news organization in television, reaching 200 million people each month across all platforms. In 2020, all of FOX News Media’s business units either broke company or industry records while delivering unprecedented growth.
As the first female CEO at the network, installed in May of 2018, Ms. Scott has taken numerous steps to develop and mentor the next generation of leaders while imparting meaningful change across the FOX News Media landscape. She has spearheaded several workplace initiatives, including the launch of a new state of the art newsroom, Women @ FOX networking events, employee mentoring and career development programs along with instituting quarterly meetings with all employees. Her efforts have fostered a more open, collaborative and transparent environment across FOX News Media, which was recently recognized as a Great Place to Work, marking the first time the news organization was bestowed this prestigious accolade since its 1996 inception.
Since Ms. Scott took over as CEO, she has created three new streaming offerings, the subscription-based FOX Nation and FOX News International services, along with the ad-supported FOX Weather platform. In 2020, she launched FOX News Books, a new publishing imprint, which debuted with back-to-back New York Times bestsellers that also went to number one on Amazon and broke records in first week sales. She also oversaw the brand refresh of FOX Digital, FOX News Audio and FOX Business, ushering in unprecedented growth and revenue.
Notably, 2020 marked FOX News Media’s highest-rated year in history. According to Nielsen Media Research, FNC shattered previous ratings highs as the first cable news channel to surpass 3.5 million viewers in primetime for an entire year, while FBN and FOX News Digital delivered record years. FNC also finished out 2020 as the most-watched network in basic cable for the fifth consecutive year in both primetime and total day viewers. Additionally, for the first time in its history, the network finished number one in all of cable in total day in the 25-54 demographic. For the full year, FNC ranked among the top three networks in all of television in weekday primetime behind only broadcast networks CBS and NBC, and beat every broadcast and cable network from Memorial Day 2020 through the end of the calendar year.
In 2021, Ms. Scott spearheaded a new programming lineup across daytime and primetime, which further extended the network’s live coverage with the addition of a late-night comedy show, Gutfeld! at 11 PM/ET along with the live newscast FOX News @ Night moving to weeknights at 12 AM/ET. She also paired Dana Perino and Bill Hemmer as co-anchors of a re-launched America’s Newsroom (9-11 AM/ET) and launched America Reports with John Roberts & Sandra Smith from 1-3 PM/ET. The new schedule experienced growth across all dayparts, with FNC continue to lead all cable networks in 2021.
Throughout her tenure, Ms. Scott helped create a number of the network’s top-rated programs, including Outnumbered Overtime w/ Harris Faulkner (now The Faulkner Focus), The Story w/ Martha MacCallum and The Daily Briefing w/ Dana Perino. In the fall of 2017, Ms. Scott expanded the network’s schedule to provide 20 hours of live programming and is responsible for having more women anchoring and hosting shows on FNC’s lineup than any other cable news network. Collectively, Ms. Scott’s programming moves have helped FNC remain number one in cable news for more than 19 consecutive years.
Prior to becoming the company’s first female CEO in May 2018, Ms. Scott served as the president of programming for both FNC and FBN. In this role, she oversaw all network programming and talent management, which included significantly altering FNC’s primetime lineup in 2017. Among the highly successful changes were replacing The O’Reilly Factor with Tucker Carlson Tonight at 8 PM/ET, moving Hannity back to the 9 PM/ET timeslot and launching The Ingraham Angle at 10 PM/ET.
Since joining the network in 1996, Ms. Scott has risen through the ranks in a number of programming, production and creative positions including: executive vice president of programming (2016); senior vice president of programming and development (2009); vice president of programming (2007); network executive producer (2005); as well as associate producer, producer and senior producer of On the Record with Greta Van Susteren (2002-2005). In addition, she was responsible for the launch of numerous on-air and digital initiatives, including the 2002 primetime debut of On the Record. She began her career at FNC in April of 1996 on the launch team as a programming assistant and previously served in the same capacity at CNBC.
Ms. Scott has been widely recognized for her contributions in cable television. She was honored as one of Crain’s Most Powerful Women in 2019 and was also named one of The Hollywood Reporter’s Most Powerful People in New York Media in 2018 and 2019, as well as one of Variety’s 2020 New York Women of Impact for her leadership during the Covid pandemic. In 2018, she was chosen for Variety’s “New Power of New York” list and has been featured in the 2018, 2019 and 2020 Variety 500 issue, an index of the 500 most influential business leaders shaping the media industry.
She was also named one of Cablefax Magazine’s Most Powerful Women in Cable from 2017 through 2021 and was selected as one of the magazine’s 100 Top Power Players in Cable in the same years. In 2006, she was named one of Multichannel News’ Wonder Women.
Additionally, Ms. Scott was honored by the Tunnel to Towers Foundation in 2021 with the Let Us Do Good award for her extraordinary dedication and positive impact in the lives of veterans and first responders. The Police Athletic League of New York City also honored her in 2019 with their Women of the Year award. She is a graduate of American University with a degree in political science.