O’Reilly to get $25M for departure
Bill O’Reilly, who was ousted Wednesday from his top-rated TV show on Fox News over allegations of sexual harassment, will receive almost $ 25 million for agreeing to leave the company, a person familiar with the matter said.
O’Reilly was one of the highest-paid TV show anchors, and this year struck a new deal that paid him between $20 million to $ 25 million, said the person, who asked not to be identified discussing private information. The new contract limited any payout to one year’s salary, the person said.
The payout is less than the $ 40 million that 21st Century Fox Inc. had to pay Fox News co-founder Roger Ailes to depart last year after he was accused of sexual harassment.
Fox News has maintained its lead in the ratings race despite an internal crisis that began last year when Ailes was accused of sexual harassment.
O’Reilly, 67, has been the most recognizable face of Fox News for much of its 21 years.
“There’s going to be some dismay among the Fox audience,” said Tim Graham, director of media analysis at the conservative watchdog Media Research Center. “The real question is what happens next. If they offer the same generic product, then it will be forgive and forget.”
But outside pressure on Fox isn’t leaving with O’Reilly; members of the National Organization for Women demonstrated outside Fox’s headquarters on Thursday, saying the company’s workplace culture won’t change unless management cleans house of other high- ranking executives who knew about the sexual harassment but didn’t do anything.