The veteran Fox News host of the "The O'Reilly Factor" is in hot water these days but his loyal followers stuck with him during his days of trials. According to Variety, the show recorded a viewership of 3.76 million last Tuesday which is a 20% increase from previous week's telecast.
Nielsen Media Research recorded the increase after a New York Times report carried that five women had received payments amounting to about $13 million to stop filing cases against the inappropriate behaviour of the 67-year-old broadcaster.
O'Reilly said that no complaint was filed against him in the network's human resources office. He also said that he has been a target of such complaints because of his fame.
Amazingly, his latest "Factor" broadcast captured an average of 628,000 viewers in the 25-54 demographic, recording an increase of 11% from the same broadcast last week. His show recorded more viewership than its competitor, "Imaginary Mary" of ABC and "Trial and Error" of NBC.
The scandal caused some major advertisers like Jenny Craig, BMW, GlaxoSmithKline, Ainsworth Pet Nutrition, and Mitsubishi Motors to transfer to other programs in Fox News. One media observer said that advertisers cannot just pull out from the show because of its steady viewership.
By Wednesday, Mercedes-Benz, Allstate Corp., BMW of North America, Sanofi SA, a pharmaceutical company, direct marketer Constant Contact, Untuckit, a men's clothing company and mutual fund operator T. Rowe Price had cut-off ties with the show.
Fox News has been beset with scandals lately which display the disturbing internal culture within the network. Previously, a former Fox comptroller showed racist behavior and Roger Ailes, former Fox News chief were accused of sexually harassing a news contributor. Ailes declared that he was innocent.
The increase in viewership, however, cannot be attributed totally to the efficiency of the host but some tune in to watch whether he will tackle such issues on his show. AMNewYork reported that many called to the network to dismiss O'Reilly. The National Organization for Women on Tuesday suggested for an independent investigation into the "culture of sexual harassment" inside the network.
"The O'Reilly Factor" is one of Fox News' most watched program averaging 4 million viewers per episode as per Nielsen. Undoubtedly, everyone's eyes are on Fox News lately. Even the new U.S. president Donald Trump who is a regular patron of the network's news program has weighed in on O'Reilly's case.
The issue started when New York Times carried a news that states Fox News or the host has paid five women in exchange of not pursuing litigation against O'Reilly for sexual harassment. Complaints included lewd comments, verbal abuse, and unwanted advances. Four of the complaints were on sexual harassment and one claimed that the host verbally abused her in front of the newsroom staff.
The biggest payoff has allegedly reached $9 million to former producer Andrea Mackris in 2004. This is not the first time that the veteran host has been accused of the same offences but a series of accusations over the years. He maintained his innocence every time.
O'Reilly claimed, "In my more than 20 years at Fox News Channel, no one has ever filed a complaint about me with the Human Resources Department, even on the anonymous hotline" He said in a statement. "I have put to rest any controversies to spare my children."
Representatives for Fox News' parent company, 21st Century Fox stated that they have addressed the issues internally. For the broadcaster, he has resolved those he believes are his own responsibility. He supports the efforts of the company in improving the working condition in the network.
Donald Trump expressed his opinions about the issue saying that Bill O'Reilly should have not pursued the payoffs. He believes that the host is innocent and he is a good man.
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
