(Via Fox News)
As expected, The O’Reilly Factor TV show on Fox News has been cancelled. 21st Century Fox, the parent-company of Fox News, held a board meeting today to discuss how to handle Bill O’Reilly, host of the political talk show. The meeting was scheduled after recent reports that he and the company allegedly gave financial settlements to women who accused O’Reilly of sexual harassment and other inappropriate behavior.
O’Reilly, who has been on “vacation” from the show, was originally expected to return next week. Yesterday, CNN reported there was a difference of opinion etween Rupert Murdoch and sons James and Lachlan regarding the company’s response. Reportedly, James wanted O’Reilly gone, and Lachlan was leaning in that direction.
UPDATE: Fox News has announced Tucker Carlson Tonight will take The Factor‘s 8:00pm timeslot. The new series premieres Monday, April 24th.
Former Fox News CEO Roger Ailes resigned his position back in July of 2016, after news broke about similar allegations against him.
Here is more, from Deadline:
“After a thorough and careful review of the allegations, the Company and Bill O’Reilly have agreed that Bill O’Reilly will not be returning to Fox News Channel,” 21st Century Fox said in a statement. It did not elaborate.
The outlet’s decision to remove the host of its flagship program The O’Reilly Factor, comes in the wake of an April 1 New York Times report that O’Reilly and FNC paid nearly $13M to settle cases with five women going back 15 years. Since that report, two more women have publicly claimed O’Reilly harassed them years ago.
Pressure built to cut O’Reilly when dozens advertisers pulled their spots from The Factor in the wake of that NYT report. The latest tally of advertisers stood at 90. The dump-O’Reilly drumbeat grew deafeningly loud late Tuesday when Fox News Channel stopped assuring he would be back on-air this coming Monday after taking a vacation. He’s been off the air since April 11, when he announced he taking a vacation, as he had at this time last year. And, in a potentially prescient move, Drudge Report founder Matt Drudge took to Twitter to fete the news channel’s biggest star’s “tremendous run.”
UPDATE: Deadline reports on the FOX News Channel scheduling changes being made in the wake of The O’Reilly Factor‘s cancellation:
Daytime roundtable series The Five is moving to primetime, to take Tucker’s 9 PM hour, also starting Monday.
Dana Perino, who was among those filling in for O’Reilly on The Factor this week, will continue to sub Wednesday and Thursday nights; Greg Gutfield will fill in on Friday.
Carlson’s new gig comes as no surprise. He had been Rupert Murdoch’s pick to assume the 9 PM hour when Megyn Kelly left the network to join NBC News, and dramatically improved the timeslot’s numbers for FNC. In mid-January, Carlson’s first two full weeks hosting Fox News Channel’s 9 PM timeslot, averaged 3.7 million viewers, 775,000 of them in the 25-54 news demo, topping CNN and MSNBC in both metrics.
Tucker Carlson Tonight’s numbers were 37% higher in viewers and up 50% in the news demo compared with the 2016 average of The Kelly File in the 9 PM slot. Compared with Kelly’s performance in the same two weeks last year, Carson was up 95% in the demo and 46% in overall audience. Carlson’s numbers back then seemed to make the point the network could survive Kelly’s very dramatic tenure and departure for NBC News without seeming to miss a beat. Presumably the company hopes Carlson performs similar feat in O’Reilly’s hour.
What do you think? Are you a fan of The O’Reilly Factor TV show? Do you think 21st Century Fox made the right decision? Should they have cancelled or renewed The O’Reilly Factor for another season on the FOX News Channel?
I’m deeply saddened and disgusted by this desicion to remove the O’Reilly Factor. As stated below, this was nothing but a witch hunt. These allegations have, from my understanding been unfounded. It’s such a shame. He was one of only a few sane voices in an insane world!
Ridiculous decision. I’ve been a loyal FOX watcher for years. No more. O’Reilly Factor is a great show. Liberal pressure & unfounded allegations caused this debacle. Shame on FOX. This is a fine way to treat a 20 year giant who MADE your network. TERRIBLE decision. I’m done. I hope your ratings tank.
What about the O’Reilly road show ?
Looks like I’m going to be watching more Fox Business News unless they manage to screw that up. Great job Fox. Now you’re just like CNN. Bet their ratings will be on the rise. Sorry Bill. You will be missed.
Bill O Reilly is one of the finest journalists there is in this crazy world. What the hell did he pay 13 million dollars for- to get kicked off the air by a bunch of money crubbing women. Oh well Fox News will not be the same.
Well it looks like CNN and MSNBC have finally won. Fox is now going to become them. It’s winning formula of real news was what made it so different from the rest. At this point my only alternative is Fox Business unless they decide to screw with that too. Sorry Bill. You will be missed.
I am so upset about this!! Anybody who watched Bill O’Reilly knew he had a strong stand against sexual hurrassment. Only to turn around and sexually harass a few women? I do not believe this!! So obvious this is a lynching. I mean come on, he has been doing the factor for 20 years and suddenly this comes out. So sick of stupid, hateful liberals and really disgusted with Fox news, pretty sure this will hurt your ratings. Who’s next Hannity? I will not watch anymore from 8 to 10! CANNOT believe fox news caved in to this!! After all… Read more »
Please don’t cancel The Factor. Mike Huckabee would be a perfect fit.
For at least a year, Huckabee has been an advocate and acolyte for Trump. I haven’t seen him in any other role. He should have no chance although Lou Dobbs and Kimberly Guilfoyle (and others) have likewise sacrificed previous “objectivity” to be advocates for Trump.
Seriously DUMBEST decision from any network EVER!! Political correctness gone stupid here… as a woman who had a long career in business, I wish I had a dime for every time a man harassed me! But then, some of the women went after the men, too. So, that’s life!! Those sons are making a seriously bad decision that will topple the only news outlet people who are moderate to conservative can trust… that scares me more than anything. To bow down to something that might or might not have happened whenever, is seriously stupid and obviously, the Alt Left are… Read more »
If shorter (and had you written: “I wish I had a dime for every time a woman harrassed me!”), yours would read like a Trump tweet 🙂
I agree with most of what Kate Fredericks said but I will watch a select few that are left; Carlson, Waters, Hannity. What happened to proving something. And getting “hit on” in the work place happens in volumes daily by men and woman. Just handle it. And don’t care if I never have to watch Rand Paul, he’s a sell-out
I am going to be selfish and ***** about the overall recent changes. I watched O’Reilly and Megyn Kelly but I will now not watch Fox from 8PM ET/5PM PT on as the Rupert kids have gone whole hog on libertarianism, where the far right meets the far left. Tucker Carlson is moving to O’Reilly’s spot and Eric Bolling is getting Tucker’s old spot. The Five gets moved to after Hannity (at least that frees up its old spot). I used to watch Red Eye half the time but now the whole evening/night on Fox is wasteland. At least Martha… Read more »
The burden of proof lies with those making the charge and if they can’t prove it they should go away and I don’t care if one million women have a story. If proof exist then, much as I been a fan that is despicable.
The women who accepted settlement money and could prove their case are inches below O’Reilly in being despicable.
Do not care for Bill O’Reilly. He is a very smart man, and have enjoyed his books. Yet, I find the degrading comments he makes unacceptable, so it is not a stretch to believe the women who have come forward. Kudos to the advertisers for taking a stance.
This is nothing more than a political witchhunt! The allegations are all unfounded, despite all the settlements.
BRING O’REILLY BACK!! The left wing liberals WIN AGAIN!! I want to know exactly what he supposedly did to these women. I hope you lose lots more sponsors! I totally agree with Lee Frizzell’s comments below. When a man is a millionaire and in the limelight, women crawl out of the woodwork. This is another “hatchet job” by the Wall Street Journal. Totally democratic liberalist. I will never watch Fox again!
Your decision to cancel this show is going to cost you more than advertisers. There are a huge number of viewers who would have respected your verdict if you had given Mr. O’ Reilly his day in court. As a woman in her late 60’s, I can recall a lot of examples of sexual harassment to which I was subjected, but I knew that was the culture of the times. I didn’t feel it was right, but, especially in male-dominated arenas, I took the comments, wolf whistles, and other comments for what they were worth. Nothing.