# Bill O'Reilly The original Fox News primetime king — the host who made the 8 PM hour the most valuable real estate in conservative media and then lost it all to the same culture of sexual predation that his boss [[Roger Ailes]] had built. Bill O'Reilly hosted *The O'Reilly Factor* for 21 years (1996–2017), making it the highest-rated cable news show in America for 16 consecutive years. He was fired in April 2017 after the New York Times revealed he and Fox had paid **over $45 million** to settle sexual harassment claims from at least six women. ## Background Born September 10, 1949, in Manhattan, raised on Long Island. Marist College (BA 1971), Boston University (MA in broadcast journalism), Harvard Kennedy School (MPA). Worked as a reporter and anchor at local and national outlets (WCBS, ABC News, Inside Edition) before joining Fox News at its launch in 1996. ## The O'Reilly Factor (1996–2017) The show defined Fox News's primetime identity: O'Reilly positioned himself as a populist everyman fighting against liberal elites, illegal immigration, and cultural permissiveness. His "No Spin Zone" branding and confrontational interview style created the template that every subsequent Fox primetime host — Hannity, Carlson, now Watters — has followed. At its peak, *The O'Reilly Factor* drew 4+ million nightly viewers. O'Reilly's bestselling books (*Killing Lincoln*, *Killing Kennedy*, etc.) extended his brand beyond television. He was, for most of Fox's existence, its most commercially important asset. He mentored [[Jesse Watters]], who started as his production assistant and whose "Watters' World" segment became the vehicle for Watters's own rise to Fox primetime. ## The Sexual Harassment Settlements The New York Times reported in April 2017 that O'Reilly and 21st Century Fox had paid approximately **$13 million** to settle sexual harassment claims from five women. Subsequent reporting revealed a sixth settlement — **$32 million** to Fox News legal analyst Lis Wiehl in January 2017 — bringing the total to over **$45 million**. The allegations included unwanted sexual advances, verbal harassment, lewd phone calls, and retaliation against women who refused or reported his behavior. Fox had renewed O'Reilly's contract after the $32 million Wiehl settlement — meaning the company knew about the most expensive harassment payout in the network's history and chose to keep him. It was only after the Times story triggered an advertiser exodus (over 50 companies pulled ads) that [[the Murdochs]] fired him on April 19, 2017. O'Reilly received no severance, unlike [[Roger Ailes]]'s $40 million departure package. ## Post-Fox O'Reilly launched an independent podcast and subscription-based commentary operation. Unlike [[Megyn Kelly]], who rebuilt a major media presence, or [[Tucker Carlson]], who became a free-agent media force, O'Reilly's post-Fox career has been relatively marginal. He remains a prolific book author but no longer commands significant media real estate. ## Analytical Framework O'Reilly's story establishes two Fox News principles: 1. **The network tolerates predators until advertisers leave:** Fox knew about $45 million in harassment settlements and renewed O'Reilly's contract. It acted only when advertisers fled — proving that the network's moral calculations are purely commercial. 2. **The 8 PM slot is bigger than the host:** O'Reilly was the most successful cable news host in history. Fox replaced him with Carlson. When Carlson was fired, Fox replaced him with Watters. All three delivered comparable ratings. The machine runs regardless of who operates it. ## See Also - [[Fox News]] — The network that tolerated $45M in settlements then fired him when advertisers left - [[Roger Ailes]] — Built the same predatory culture, received $40M to leave - [[Jesse Watters]] — His protégé who now holds the 8 PM slot - [[Tucker Carlson]] — His immediate successor at 8 PM