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New York Times Reports the Comments by Bill O’Reilly Last Fall Helped Lead to Megyn Kelly’s Departure From Fox News. [TVWeek, Among Some Other Media, Wrote About O’Reilly’s Remarks at the Time]

Apr 17, 2017  •  Post A Comment

Comments about sexual harassment made by Fox News commentator Bill O’Reilly on Nov. 15, 2016, on “CBS This Morning” and on his own show, “The O’Reilly Factor,” “helped drive Megyn Kelly out of Fox,” according to The New York Times.

According to a Times story written by Emily Steel and Michael S. Schmidt, “The comments set off a media firestorm and frustrated Ms. Kelly, who sent an email to Fox News executives complaining about his behavior and the chilling effect it could have on women at the company and beyond, according to four people with knowledge of the email who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal matters.”

The story adds that O’Reilly’s response, “along with a deep skepticism about whether the network was truly committed to changing its culture after [Fox News CEO Roger] Ailes was forced out, was a factor in Ms. Kelly’s decision to leave Fox News for a new role at NBC News, according to two people familiar with the matter.”

The Times piece, published in the print edition of the newspaper on Saturday, April 15, 2017, reports: “‘Look, it’s open season [on Fox News],’ [O’Reilly] said, visibly irritated, when asked [on ‘CBS This Morning’]  about a recently published book by Megyn Kelly, his colleague at the time. In the book, Ms. Kelly provided an account of being sexually harassed by Roger Ailes, the network’s former chairman. Later Mr. O’Reilly added, ‘Let’s whack the Fox News Channel. I’ve had enough of it. It’s a good place to work. All right?’”

Later that night on “The O’Reilly Factor” O’Reilly said, The Times notes, “If you don’t like what’s happening in the workplace, go to human resources or leave.”

O’Reilly is currently on vacation. However, The Times ran this response from the O’Reilly camp: “Marc E. Kasowitz, a lawyer for Mr. O’Reilly, said in a statement: ‘Mr. O’Reilly cannot comment on what Megyn Kelly thought, or did or did not do, except to say she never raised any such issue with him, nor did anyone else. At this time, it is apparent to any objective observer that Mr. O’Reilly is being subjected to a malicious campaign intent on harming his reputation and family through speculation and innuendo.’”

Back in November, TVWeek, along with more than a dozen other media outlets, covered O’Reilly’s specific comments on “CBS This Morning” and “The O’Reilly Factor” about sexual harassment. To read the essay written at the time by TVWeek Open Mic blogger Chuck Ross, please click here.

Others who covered this story when it was breaking back in November include Brian Stelter at CNN, Tré Goins-Phillips at TheBlaze, Jerome Hudson at Breitbart, Callum Borchers and Erik Wemple at The Washington Post, Catherine Garcia at The Week Allahpundit at HotAir, Greg Richter at NewsMax, Mark NC at News Corpse, Donald at Conservative 101, and Dustin Rowles at Pajiba.

One Comment

  1. I miss Bill O’Reilly
    and his The O’Reilly Factor Show
    His one hour show was very informative
    It was always exciting to watch him
    and his guests. He had something in him
    no other journalists on Fox has
    Lots of energy, always straightforward and
    getting to the bottom of the issue based
    on facts. I do not trust Wendy Welsh at all
    Dirty, political smear campaign
    What goes around comes around , Wendy

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