New York magazine’s Gabriel Sherman is reporting that the discussions at 21st Century Fox about how to handle the Bill O’Reilly situation have concluded, and the decision has been made to let their biggest ratings-cow go. Sherman reports one of the last hang-ups in the O’Reilly’s departure is whether the cable news juggernaut will allow the long-term O’Reilly Factor host to say goodbye to his viewers.
Sherman’s report follows a Wall Street Journal piece that pointed to the same end result likely coming in the next few days. O’Reilly is currently on vacation in Italy, and a Fox News spokesperson said he planned to return on April 24, but may not happen after all.
Allegations of sexual harassment have swirled around O’Reilly for years, but the recent exodus of advertisers have turned up the temperature on his seat to the point where Fox News may have decided that moving on is the best course of action. On top of the New York Times story released last month that reported that O’Reilly and Fox had paid out over $13 million dollars to his accusers, another woman brought bizarre new allegations against him on Tuesday.
FYI, Sherman tends to get these Fox News-related scoops early, and they often prove true. He’s the same reporter who dropped a damning expose on ex-Fox News head Roger Ailes about his predatory discussions with anchor Gretchen Carlson, who secretly recorded him.
(Via New York)