Fox News Channel is close to ending its 21-year relationship with star host Bill O’Reilly after reports emerged that he and the network paid settlements to five women who accused him of sexual harassment, The Wall Street Journal reported.
The Journal, which like Fox News is controlled by Rupert Murdoch, wrote Tuesday night that "Fox News is preparing to cut ties with star anchor Bill O’Reilly, according to people close to the situation."
On Wednesday, New York Magazine reported network executives are preparing to announce O’Reilly's departure before he returns from an Italian vacation on April 24.
According to the paper's unnamed sources, Fox News and its parent company 21st Century Fox, hoped the controversy would pass, but continued pressure on the network may force their hand.
Morning Consult asked over 2,000 people if they thought O’Reilly's show, "The O'Reilly Factor," should be kept or canceled.
- 46 percent said to cancel the show.
- 22 percent said to keep it.
- 32 percent had no opinion.
Of those who said they watch "The O'Reilly Factor," 58 percent said the host should stay vs. 22 percent who said cancel.
Morning Consult noted that in a similar poll earlier this month, over a third of respondents said to cancel the show.
O’Reilly has become "a tarnished brand," according to Laura Martin, a Needham & Company equity analyst, who told Morning Consult, "brands have become more sensitive and demanding about the context in which their ads appear. These brands are sick of spending money next to things that make people not buy their product."
O’Reilly is currently on vacation, which was scheduled to end Monday, but Fox News would not confirm if the host will return.
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