Michael Clemente, the longtime television executive and producer who spent nearly three decades at ABC News and served as a senior deputy to Roger Ailes and an advisor to Rupert Murdoch at Fox News, has died. He was 70 years old.
A family spokesman said Clemente died suddenly on Thursday at his home in Garrison, New York Hollywood Reporter.
In ABC World news tonightClemente worked closely with Peter Jennings as head writer and producer, beginning with Jennings’ appointment as lead announcer for the broadcast in August 1983.
Along with Jennings, Clemente has traveled extensively and produced coverage of some of the landmark events of the late 20th century, including the papal conclave, the fall of the Berlin Wall, the First Gulf War, the Tiananmen Square protests, the Palestinian uprising, and the recount of the disputed 2000 presidential election. He has also interviewed several U.S. presidents, starting with Ronald Reagan.
Also at ABC, he rose to become executive producer of this week and co-executive producer of 20/20 With Barbara Walters.
As ABC News’ chief digital operations officer from 2006 to 2009, he helped pioneer online and streaming journalism, overseeing the launch of the ABC News Now broadcast program and guiding the transformation of ABCNews.com into one of the country’s most-read digital news platforms.
In 2009, Clemente joined Fox as senior vice president, and was promoted to executive vice president in 2012. He oversaw daily news operations and major political programming, including the presidential primary debates during the 2012 and 2016 election cycles. Among them was the 2015 Republican primary debate, then the most-watched primary debate in US history.
One of his most notable international assignments came in 2013 when he gave an interview on Fox News with Bashar al-Assad, during which the Syrian president announced that he would give up his country’s stockpile of chemical weapons.
“He cared about people in a way that is rare in the news world,” Douglas Kennedy, a journalist and son of Sen. Robert F. Kennedy Sr., who worked with Clemente at Fox News, said in a statement. “On any given day, he could manage huge personalities like Peter Jennings, Ron Arledge and Roger Ailes, while also giving time and attention to reporters, producers and technicians.”
Bill O’Reilly, who worked with Clemente at ABC News and Fox, added: “I can tell you he was an old-school journalist who sought out verifiable facts. He was also an excellent family man. He was deeply respected.”
He left Fox in July 2016, days after CEO and Chairman Ailes resigned following sexual harassment allegations from ousted anchor Gretchen Carlson.
Michael Scott Clemente was born on February 20, 1956, in Suffern, New York, and spent his childhood in New York, Massachusetts, California, and Maryland before graduating from Gaithersburg (Maryland) High School in 1974 and earning a degree in journalism from American University in 1978.
He started as a production assistant at ABC Good morning America He will work alongside legendary broadcasters Frank Reynolds and Howard K. Smith and David Brinkley (as lead producer of This week with David Brinkley From 1987 to 1993).
He also served as an executive producer at CNN from 1996 to 1997, and most recently was a consultant and consultant to CNN The Wall Street JournalNewsmax, Twitter, etc Washington Examiner And TBN.
“Michael was as true a supporter, a pioneer in television, and as loyal a friend as one can be,” said Mike Huckabee, the US ambassador to Israel who worked with Clemente at Fox News and produced his show on TBN.
Clemente was an avid collector of vintage cars, and his eclectic collection included a 1958 Mack truck cab and a 1963 Pontiac station wagon reminiscent of the cars his family drove during his childhood.
Survivors include his wife, Jane; His children, Meggie, Mike, Cassie and Noel. his siblings Richard (and wife Marcy), Lisa (Dave), Len, Joyce and Ann; and 12 nieces and nephews.
Viewing hours will be held from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on May 20 at Chapman Funeral Home in Harwich, Massachusetts, and a funeral will follow at Holy Trinity Church in West Harwich. A larger memorial celebration of his life and career will be announced.
Donations in his memory may be made to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America.
