CLEVELAND Embattled Fox News chairman and CEO Roger Ailes resigned Thursday following a sexual harassment scandal that consumed the network during this weeks Republican National Convention , parent company 21st Century Fox announced.

Its a stunning fall for Ailes, a longtime political operative and media visionary who built Fox News with Rupert Murdoch in 1996 and led the cable channel to ratings dominance. Murdoch will now assume the role of chairman and acting CEO of Fox News and Fox Business, which Ailes also ran.

All week, Fox News stars covering the convention have dodged questions from journalists amid more revelations and signs pointing to Ailes imminent ouster. But several spoke Thursday from the convention center as the news became official.

I think its very sad, to be honest. It was tough, but we have a job to do. Its a big night tonight, anchor Bret Baier said. We had a big night last night. Weve all worked with and for Rupert for a long time. In one sense, it will be a continuation. In another sense, it feels bad. Its a bad feeling. Roger was always great to me and my family. Ive talked about that. And its tough to see him go.

I am absolutely heartbroken that all this happened. I love the guy, and loved working for him, a visibly emotional Brit Hume told a handful of reporters gathered near the Fox convention space.

Hume, a former ABC News correspondent and now a senior political analyst at Fox News, was a marquee name for Ailes as he got the company off the ground. After making his comments Thursday, Hume then re-emerged to make sure reporters understood: I said I love the guy, in the present tense.