Roger Ailes received shares worth almost $4.5m for last October’s launch of the Fox Business Network, News Corp’s much-hyped bid to take on CNBC, according to a proxy filing by the media group.

The channel’s poor early ratings may mean, however, that it will be some time before the Fox News Channel chairman can claim a second all-share bonus, due “when the fair market value of the Fox Business Network equals or exceeds two times its cost”.