Geraldo Rivera departed Fox News under less-than-ideal circumstances earlier this year. That doesn’t mean he can’t share admiration for departing Fox Corp. chairman Rupert Murdoch.

During an appearance on CNN Tonight with Laura Coates after Murdoch announced he would exit his long-held role with the company, Rivera had good things to say about the media titan.

“He has always been nice to me, kind to me, (and) generous. When they cut my salary in half — when they had the big cutback before the pandemic — I went up and I said, ‘Hey boss, this is not right. I went in to combat for you and this and that,’ and he called downstairs and he said, ‘Okay, restore part of that cut.’ So, I see him as a good boss,” Rivera said. “A vibrant, charismatic guy, still full of verb and energy at 92 years old.”

Rivera went on to defend Murdoch from accusations that the salacious and partisan news coverage provided by his outlets was a ploy to advance conservative causes.

“I think it does a disservice to think that it was all sleazy kind of opportunism because I don’t believe that he believed that. I believe that he was sincerely motivated,” said Geraldo Rivera. “He could have, for example, when Fox News was being created, gone the way of other Fox syndicated programs like A Current Affair and gone tabloid and celebrities and all that TMZ kind of stuff.

“Instead, he went to serve a conservative audience, and while I disagree with almost everything in all of their positions — the majority of talent at Fox News — I appreciate the fact that half the people believe — for example — that abortion is a moral wrong, or that gun rights are absolute, or that immigration is bad, or that the climate is not changing. They’re very skeptical about that. Those are people who deserve to have their media.”

Yesterday’s surprise announcement that Fox Corp. and News Corp. chairman Rupert Murdoch would exit his role with the companies continues to create shockwaves throughout the industry. The news made Newsmax CEO Chris Ruddy become retrospective on what Murdoch has meant to the media landscape.

“Over many decades no other individual has had such a tremendous impact on the media landscape as Rupert Murdoch. His contributions to the news industry across several continents have been enormous, helping to ensure a balanced and truly free media,” Ruddy said.

“Newsmax has benefited from his contributions and we will continue his efforts to promote a free press, a cornerstone to a free society.”

Ruddy launched Newsmax in 1998, positioning the network as a competitor to Fox News. The network has seen expansive growth in recent months, coinciding with the decision by Fox News to remove popular primetime host Tucker Carlson from its lineup.

While Murdoch announced his departure, he remained adamant that he would stay involved in both companies.

“I can guarantee you that I will be involved every day in the contest of ideas. Our companies are communities, and I will be an active member of our community,” Murdoch wrote in his memo to employees announcing his departure.

After securing a spot in CNN’s primetime lineup, Abby Phillip is stepping away from her role as host of Inside Politics Sunday. Manu Raju will take her place, and begin hosting the show this week.

The network announced that Raju will make his debut on Sunday, September 24th at 11:00 AM ET.

Raju is no stranger to CNN. He has worked at the network since 2015. He joined the cable outlet after serving as a senior political reporter at Politico. Since joining CNN, Raju has risen to be the network’s chief congressional correspondent.

In recent weeks, Raju has filled in for Dana Bash on the weekday version of Inside Politics.

Manu Raju becomes the first Asian American host of the program, both the weekday and Sunday editions. The show began in 1992 and was originally hosted by Bernard Shaw and Catherine Crier. It has also been helmed by Judy Woodruff and John King in addition to Bash, who took the reins earlier this year.