<P> Fox News Channel has been accused of biased reporting, and promoting the Republican Party . Research shows that Fox News increases Republican vote shares among viewers . Critics have cited the channel as detrimental to the integrity of news overall . Fox News employees have responded that news reporting operates independently of its opinion and commentary programming, and have denied bias in news reporting . The network has also been accused of permitting sexual harassment and racial discrimination by on - air hosts, executives, and employees, paying out millions of dollars in legal settlements . The company is currently under federal investigation for its harassment settlements and other alleged misconduct . </P> <P> As of February 2015, approximately 94,700,000 US households (81.4% of cable, satellite & telco customers) receive the Fox News Channel . </P> <P> In May 1985, Australian publisher Rupert Murdoch announced that he and American industrialist and philanthropist Marvin Davis intended to develop "a network of independent stations as a fourth marketing force" to compete directly with CBS, NBC, and ABC through the purchase of six television stations owned by Metromedia . In July 1985, 20th Century Fox announced that Murdoch had completed his purchase of 50 percent of Fox Filmed Entertainment, the parent company of 20th Century Fox Film Corporation . A year later, 20th Century Fox earned $5.6 million in its fiscal third period ended May 31, 1986, in contrast to a loss of $55.8 million in the third period of the previous year . </P> <P> Prior to founding FNC, Murdoch had gained experience in the 24 - hour news business when News Corporation's BSkyB subsidiary began Europe's first 24 - hour news channel (Sky News) in the United Kingdom in 1989 . With the success of his fourth network efforts in the United States, experience gained from Sky News and the turnaround of 20th Century Fox, Murdoch announced on January 31, 1996, that News Corp. would launch a 24 - hour news channel on cable and satellite systems in the United States as part of a News Corp. "worldwide platform" for Fox programming: "The appetite for news--particularly news that explains to people how it affects them--is expanding enormously". </P>

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