On Monday, the CEO of the network made an announcement regarding the unfortunate demise of a well-established figure at Fox News. Suzanne Scott, in a memo, conveyed the news of Barry-John “Baz” Davies’ passing. Davies, who had been associated as a producer with the network’s London bureau, succumbed to a prolonged illness.

“We have some sad news to share this afternoon,” Scott wrote. “Barry-John ‘Baz’ Davies, who served as a producer in our London bureau, passed away yesterday after a long illness. He was just 46 years old. He was a beloved part of our team in London and was highly regarded by our colleagues there as well as by the many anchors and correspondents he worked with during his time at FOX.”

Davies began as an editor for Fox News 14 years ago, later being promoted to producer.

“Throughout his tenure, he covered some of the most consequential foreign news of the last two decades, including the war in Ukraine, several G20 and G7 summits, Brexit, and the terrorist attacks in France and Belgium,” Scott continued. “He also took multiple trips to Iraq, where he covered the ISIS uprising in Mosul, and to Seoul to report on the tensions between North and South Korea.”

2023 proved to be a challenging year for the cable news industry, as alternative news sources gained popularity and cord-cutting limited the reach of linear programming in American households. Despite these obstacles, Fox News maintained its position as the most-watched cable news network for the eighth consecutive year. The network’s six news programs dominated the industry, with The Five making history by topping the ratings in the crucial 25-54 age group and overall viewership, even though it aired outside of prime time.

This marked Fox’s 22nd consecutive year at the top in terms of total viewers and viewership during both total day and prime time. MSNBC held onto its position as the second most-watched cable network, thanks to the success of prime-time hosts Lawrence O’Donnell and Rachel Maddow. The network was the only one to experience year-over-year growth in total viewership. MSNBC’s Morning Joe and evening hosts Nicolle Wallace and Ari Melber continued to attract significant ratings, fueled by the constant news coverage of former President Trump and his legal battles.