XPost: alt.california, sac.politics, alt.politics.usa.republican
XPost: alt.politics.conservative
Bill O’Reilly was on his way to the airport in Rome on Wednesday
when he found out Fox News had decided to let him go. The
details of his departure have yet to be worked out, and he was
not yet thinking about his life after Fox.
But when he turns his attention to his future, he will have no
shortage of options. Though his sexual harassment settlements
may pose an obstacle, O’Reilly’s loyal fanbase presents a major
opportunity to conservative networks looking to grow their
audiences.
“Our management here is obviously discussing it,” said Charles
Herring, president of One America News Network, a conservative
cable channel that reaches 35 million households. “Clearly he’s
built one heck of a brand. Clearly there’s been accusations that
need to be looked at also.”
Christopher Ruddy, CEO of Newsmax, said he would be “very open
to talking” with O’Reilly about joining the network, which
reaches 10 million homes via cable and broadcast.
“I think some of the allegations made against him were serious,
but he’s never been convicted in my mind of anything,” Ruddy
says. “I think he still remains a very hot property in the media
word.”
Either option would be a step down from Fox, which reaches 100
million households and paid O’Reilly $20 million a year. But
Ruddy argues that the “fraying” of Fox News has created an
opportunity for other conservative outlets.
“I think there’s a lot of players willing to invest,” he says.
O’Reilly, 67, also has enough of a profile that he could strike
out on his own. After parting ways with Fox in 2011, Glenn Beck
launched a TV and radio show on the Blaze, his multi-media
platform. The Blaze has reportedly reached as many as 300,000
paying subscribers and is available in 13 million cable
households.
“I think it’s harder than it looks,” cautions Scott Baker, the
site’s former editor-in-chief. “Obviously O’Reilly is in a
position to do better at that than nearly anyone. But we’re
talking about people at different life stages. The question will
be how much does he want it.”
“My guess is he loves that idea of being America’s anchorman,”
Baker says. “Revenge is a powerful motivator. But having to
build something from the ground up, it puts you in your place a
little bit.”
A less strenuous option would be to launch a podcast, which he
could do from his own house for minimal cost. Nancy Grace, who
left HLN last year, now does a daily Crime Stories podcast.
O’Reilly already has a “premium membership” plan on his website.
Subscribers pay $4.95 per month for access to a newsletter, a
message board, and the “O’Reilly Factor” archives. The site is
rumored to have at least 20,000 paying subscribers, bringing in
more than $1 million a year.
O’Reilly could launch a daily podcast or streaming show and
substantially grow the premium subscriber base.
With relatively little effort, he could replace much of his lost
earnings from Fox.
FILED UNDER: Bill O'ReillyFox News
http://variety.com/2017/tv/news/bill-oreilly-conservative-news- outlets-fox-news-1202390884/
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