In the wake of a string of sexual harassment claims settled by Bill O’Reilly, the Fox News anchor will not be returning to air.
“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 the Fox News Channel," a statement signed by Rupert Murdoch said.
“By ratings standards, Bill O’Reilly is one of the most accomplished TV personalities in the history of cable news,” the statement continued. “In fact, his success by any measure is indisputable. Fox News has demonstrated again and again the strength of its talent bench. We have full confidence that the network will continue to be a powerhouse in cable news.”
For two decades, O’Reilly, 67, has been hosting The O’Reilly Factor which has been the number one show in cable news for the last 15 years straight. According to The Hollywood Reporter, his show brought in “$400 million in ad revenue between 2014 and 2016 and $118 million in the first three quarters of 2016.” However, as the allegations of sexual harassment by the host became public, advertisers bailed.
Fox is hoping to have his time slot filled by Monday evening, possibly with Tucker Carlson, Dana Perino, or Eric Bolling. An inside source said Sean Hannity is perfectly happy at 10 p.m. and isn’t interested in moving to an earlier time.
O’Reilly’s ousting comes almost a year after former Fox News CEO Roger Ailes resigned over sexual harassment allegations brought by former anchors Gretchen Carlson and Megyn Kelly. Both Ailes and O’Reilly deny the accusations.
The final line in the statement reads, “Lastly, and most importantly, we want to underscore our consistent commitment to fostering a work environment built on the values of trust and respect.”
