Cloud hangs over Fox host

A WEEK after President Donald Trump defended the star Fox News host Bill O’Reilly following accusations of sexual harassment, he is on vacation from his hugely popular show and his future uncertain.

The right-wing television personality announced what he called a long-planned break during his show on Tuesday, saying he would return on April 24 – amid reports he may not come back.

Around this time of year, “I grab some vacation because it’s spring and Easter time,” the combative 67year-old host said.

His announcement follows a report in The New York Times last month saying the Fox cable news giant and O’Reilly had paid five women a total of $13million (R176-million) in cases spanning 15 years, in exchange for their silence and agreement not to pursue litigation against Fox News, a favourite among conservatives.

The revelations come as The O’Reilly Factor, US television’s most-watched cable news show, is more popular than ever in its 20year history.

But O’Reilly’s fate may come down to his station’s bottom line.

Some 60 companies have said they would no longer advertise on his show following the Times report.

That is adding to doubts about O’Reilly’s future, with New York Magazine reporting sources inside the network as saying he may not return.

Although Fox News copresident Bill Shine wants the host to stay, the decision is up to the Murdoch family, which owns the network, the magazine said.

Fox News’s parent company has said it would investigate the harassment claims.

Rotating substitute hosts will replace O’Reilly during his absence.

Just last week, Trump – reported to be an avid Fox News watcher – came to O’Reilly’s aid, calling him “a good person”.

“Personally, I think he shouldn’t have settled,” the president said.

O’Reilly himself did not directly deny the allegations, but said his prominence made him “vulnerable to lawsuits from individuals who want me to pay them to avoid negative publicity”. — AFP