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PEOPLE & ARTS Thursday 20 april 2017
Bill O’Reilly out at Fox News Channel after 20 years

DAVID BAUDER hosts that regularly airs at 5 sons.
AP Television Writer p.m. ET, will move into the Conservative personality
NEW YORK (AP) — Fox News 9 p.m. time slot. Eric Bolling Glenn Beck — who once
Channel’s parent com- will host a new show that lost a job at Fox News
pany fired Bill O’Reilly on airs at 5 p.m. starting next Channel because a similar
Wednesday following an month, the company said. campaign choked his pro-
investigation into harass- O’Reilly had ruled the “no gram of paying advertisers
ment allegations, bringing spin zone” on television — came to O’Reilly’s de-
a stunning end to cable with a quick smile and an fense of Wednesday, but it
television news’ most pop- even quicker temper. He was too late. O’Reilly’s fans
ular program and one that pushed a populist, con- aren’t likely to be happy
came to define the bra- servative-leaning point of about his losing his job, par-
vado of his network over 20 view born from growing up ticularly on a controversy
years. on Long Island, and was set in motion by the Times,
O’Reilly lost his job on the quick to shout down those a publication hated in con-
same day he was photo- who disagreed with him. servative circles. In this Oct. 1, 2015 file photo, host Bill O’Reilly of “The O’Reilly
graphed in Rome shaking Fans loved his willingness “You need to write and call Factor” on the Fox News Channel, poses for photos in the set in
the hand of Pope Francis. to talk back to power or Fox News Channel today New York.
The downfall of Fox’s most point out hypocrisy among and tell them, you can lose Associated Press
popular — and most lucra- liberal politicians or media your advertisers or you can Channel board because of him addressing his long-
tive — personality began members. lose your viewers,” Beck you are about to lose Bill time viewers about the exit.
with an April 2 report in The His show generated $178 said on his radio show hours O’Reilly.” But Fox said Wednesday
New York Times that five million in advertising rev- before the firing. “But you O’Reilly had been sched- that wouldn’t happen.
women had been paid a enue in 2015, according have to put some spine uled to return from his va- O’Reilly is also one of the
total of $13 million to keep to Kantar Media. His audi- back into the Murdoch cation next Monday, and country’s most popular
quiet about unpleasant en- ence was larger in the first family and the Fox News there had been some talk nonfiction authors. q
counters with O’Reilly, who three months of this year
has denied any wrongdo- than it has ever been, ac-
ing. Dozens of his show’s cording to Nielsen.
advertisers fled within days, O’Reilly’s pugnacious per-
even though O’Reilly’s sonality wasn’t just an off-
viewership increased. screen affectation, with
O’Reilly’s exit came nine one of the settlements
months after his former going to a woman who
boss, Fox News CEO Roger complained about being
Ailes, was ousted following shouted at in the news-
allegations of sexual ha- room. Even though at least
rassment. one of the harassment
Following the Times story, cases against him dated
21st Century Fox said it had back more than a decade
asked the same law firm and was widely reported
that investigated Ailes to then, the accumulation of
look into O’Reilly’s behav- cases outlined in the Times
ior. 21st Century Fox lead- damaged him much more
ers Rupert Murdoch and his extensively. For Fox execu-
sons Lachlan and James tives, it wasn’t clear when it
said in a memo to Fox staff would end: a campaign to
that their decision to ax target advertisers was con-
O’Reilly came following an tinuing, a group of women
“extensive review” into the demonstrated in front of
charges. Fox’s headquarters Tues-
“We want to underscore day and another woman,
our consistent commitment a former clerical worker at
to fostering a work environ- Fox, called a harassment
ment built on the values of hotline and accusing the
trust and respect,” the Mur- host of boorish behavior.
dochs said in a memo to “I’m not going away,” said
Fox News staff members. Lisa Bloom, attorney for the
Fox said Tucker Carlson latest accuser and another
would move into O’Reilly’s woman who alleges her
time slot — the second career stalled because she
time in three months he’s spurned O’Reilly’s advanc-
replaced an exiting prime- es. O’Reilly’s attorney, Marc
time personality. Carlson, Kasowitz, charged that his
a veteran pundit who has client was being subjected
hosted shows on CNN, to a “brutal campaign of
MSNBC and PBS, had tak- character assassination”
en over for Megyn Kelly and that there is a smear
in January when she an- campaign orchestrated by
nounced she was moving far-left organizations bent
to NBC News. “The Five,” a on destroying O’Reilly for
talk show with five rotating political and financial rea-