O'Reilly out at FOX!

[fraurosena]

49 minutes ago, GreyhoundFan said:

And you know, I’m a ratings person. Have you seen his ratings?

And there you have it, folks. Straight from the presidunce himself to Hannity on Faux, so it can't be fake news.

To him, ratings are everything. He cares about little else. It is all he is ever focussed on. He will do anything and everything to get his ratings, any which way he can. 

[GrumpyGran]

5 minutes ago, fraurosena said:

And there you have it, folks. Straight from the presidunce himself to Hannity on Faux, so it can't be fake news.

To him, ratings are everything. He cares about little else. It is all he is ever focussed on. He will do anything and everything to get his ratings, any which way he can. 

So I think we can Kellyanne the old saying now: If you told him that if he shot someone on Fifth Avenue in broad daylight, it would be the highest rated show on TV, ever, he would do it.

Hmm, if we just pick the right person, this could work out!

[fraurosena]

32 minutes ago, GrumpyGran said:

So I think we can Kellyanne the old saying now: If you told him that if he shot someone on Fifth Avenue in broad daylight, it would be the highest rated show on TV, ever, he would do it.

Hmm, if we just pick the right person, this could work out!

Let's start with the man in the mirror.

[GreyhoundFan]

1 hour ago, GrumpyGran said:

Was this an open event? Because if not, we need to make sure it is referred to as another campaign rally. I would be surprised if he doesn't have another one this weekend.

It probably wasn't an open event. They don't want any detractors. You know the TT needs a pep rally as frequently as possible.

From Vanity Fair: "Is Sean Hannity the Greatest Threat to John Kelly’s Job?"

Spoiler

John Kelly’s constant battle to contain Donald Trump remains a Sisyphean task. The harder the White House chief of staff tries to control the flow of information reaching the president—limiting his exposure to unsolicited opinions, curating the printouts he receives from staffers, and planning to bar him from excessive mingling at Mar-a-Lago, which he’s been known to convert into an open-air Situation Room—the more the president reportedly chafes, making late-night calls to allies from the East Wing and sending inflammatory early morning tweets. Among the most powerful outside advisers to the president, the Los Angeles Times reports, is Fox News host Sean Hannity—a longtime Trump cheerleader who has apparently managed to circumvent Kelly, inserting his own clamorous opinions into an already chaotic White House.

When he’s not attempting to influence the president via his prime-time cable-news show, Hannity reportedly talks to Trump on the phone several nights a week. And the president takes his advice seriously: according to the Times, Hannity is to blame for thwarting Trump’s deal with Democrats to protect undocumented immigrants who arrived in the country as children, calling him over the weekend and insisting that he demand hard-line concessions in return. Bucking Kelly, who approved of the deal, Trump sent Congress a list of demands Sunday in exchange for enshrining DACA into law—demands that included funding for the border wall and the end of “sanctuary cities.” The list made it impossible for Democrats to agree to a deal and all but destroyed any bipartisan spirit surrounding the protection of the program. (Deputy White House press secretary Lindsay Walters told the Times that Hannity’s role was overblown—“The President has always had a robust list of outside advisers in business and politics because he is open minded and ultimately wants to do the right thing for the country,” she said.)

Days after Trump made his counter-offer, he appeared on Hannity’s show to defend his decision to a friendly audience. “If we’re going to do something, we need to get something in return,” he said Wednesday night, acknowledging that while he felt sympathy for DACA beneficiaries, he wanted to keep his campaign promises. Hannity offered high praise and softballs in return—exactly what the president’s staff, which has reportedly kept him away from adversarial interviews of late, had hoped for. Trump responded cheerfully, praising Hannity’s ratings to the crowd behind him. “I’m so proud of you,” he told the host at one point.

If that’s all it takes to sway the president, Kelly could be forced to invent new blockades—that is, if he doesn’t quit first. As my colleague Gabriel Sherman reported yesterday, Kelly only stays in his job out of a sense of duty, and finds it grating to babysit the president in what Bob Corker recently called an “adult day care center.” If and when he does eventually step down, as all chiefs of staff do, it won’t be because Hannity made his job any easier.

 

[GrumpyGran]

5 minutes ago, GreyhoundFan said:

It probably wasn't an open event. They don't want any detractors. You know the TT needs a pep rally as frequently as possible.

From Vanity Fair: "Is Sean Hannity the Greatest Threat to John Kelly’s Job?"

  Hide contents

John Kelly’s constant battle to contain Donald Trump remains a Sisyphean task. The harder the White House chief of staff tries to control the flow of information reaching the president—limiting his exposure to unsolicited opinions, curating the printouts he receives from staffers, and planning to bar him from excessive mingling at Mar-a-Lago, which he’s been known to convert into an open-air Situation Room—the more the president reportedly chafes, making late-night calls to allies from the East Wing and sending inflammatory early morning tweets. Among the most powerful outside advisers to the president, the Los Angeles Times reports, is Fox News host Sean Hannity—a longtime Trump cheerleader who has apparently managed to circumvent Kelly, inserting his own clamorous opinions into an already chaotic White House.

When he’s not attempting to influence the president via his prime-time cable-news show, Hannity reportedly talks to Trump on the phone several nights a week. And the president takes his advice seriously: according to the Times, Hannity is to blame for thwarting Trump’s deal with Democrats to protect undocumented immigrants who arrived in the country as children, calling him over the weekend and insisting that he demand hard-line concessions in return. Bucking Kelly, who approved of the deal, Trump sent Congress a list of demands Sunday in exchange for enshrining DACA into law—demands that included funding for the border wall and the end of “sanctuary cities.” The list made it impossible for Democrats to agree to a deal and all but destroyed any bipartisan spirit surrounding the protection of the program. (Deputy White House press secretary Lindsay Walters told the Times that Hannity’s role was overblown—“The President has always had a robust list of outside advisers in business and politics because he is open minded and ultimately wants to do the right thing for the country,” she said.)

Days after Trump made his counter-offer, he appeared on Hannity’s show to defend his decision to a friendly audience. “If we’re going to do something, we need to get something in return,” he said Wednesday night, acknowledging that while he felt sympathy for DACA beneficiaries, he wanted to keep his campaign promises. Hannity offered high praise and softballs in return—exactly what the president’s staff, which has reportedly kept him away from adversarial interviews of late, had hoped for. Trump responded cheerfully, praising Hannity’s ratings to the crowd behind him. “I’m so proud of you,” he told the host at one point.

If that’s all it takes to sway the president, Kelly could be forced to invent new blockades—that is, if he doesn’t quit first. As my colleague Gabriel Sherman reported yesterday, Kelly only stays in his job out of a sense of duty, and finds it grating to babysit the president in what Bob Corker recently called an “adult day care center.” If and when he does eventually step down, as all chiefs of staff do, it won’t be because Hannity made his job any easier.

 

Right. My mulling on who else will be involved in the Fifth Avenue 'event' is complete.

Does Hannity not know that Dumpy doesn't have friends? He uses you or he abuses you. Hannity will wake up one day and wonder when he became Dumpy's bitch.

[Cartmann99]

21 hours ago, GreyhoundFan said:

Another airsick bag warning: "President Trump to Sean Hannity: ‘You have been so great’"

You'd think that the "family values" crowd would complain about Fox showing hardcore gay porn to their viewers. 

[JMarie]

Ugh, tonight Hannity spent a half-hour complaining about the liberal media coverup of Weinstein.  Kayleigh McEnany stopped by, following a trip to Trump's spray tan booth, and said the word "hypocrisy" as much as possible:  about Weinstein, about Roman Polanski, about Bill Clinton.  But nobody mentioned the Molester In Chief.  At least Weinstein admits he has a problem and is seeking help, no matter how posh the recovery environment.

[GreyhoundFan]

Go get 'em, Chelsea!

[GreyhoundFan]

"After Bill O’Reilly’s taunt, Jake Tapper reminds him he was ‘humiliated in front of the world’'

Spoiler

CNN’s Jake Tapper and former Fox News host Bill O’Reilly traded blows on Twitter late Wednesday afternoon, after O’Reilly taunted Tapper’s ratings for being “as low as you can go.”

Minutes after O’Reilly’s tweet, Tapper fired back at O’Reilly.

“ ‘Low’ would be sexually harassing staffers and then getting fired for it — humiliated in front of the world,” he wrote.

... < Tapper's tweet >

Tapper was referring, of course, to O’Reilly’s swift downfall in April after revelations of a series of sexual harassment complaints against him surfaced just weeks prior.

The conservative-leaning and combative former longtime host of Fox News’s top-rated show, “The O’Reilly Factor,” was accused by numerous women of sexual harassment. His departure came less than a year after the resignation of Roger Ailes, the co-founder and then-chairman of Fox, amid allegations of sexual harassment.

O’Reilly appeared on Fox News last month for an interview with Sean Hannity, marking his first appearance on the network since his ouster. Last week, Tapper accused Hannity of hypocrisy, noting that while the Fox host made a cogent point about the “selective moral outrage” of the left in light of the scandal surrounding Hollywood mogul and Democratic donor Harvey Weinstein, he hosted Bill O’Reilly on his show despite the sexual harassment allegations against him.

This is not the first time that the two have feuded. In April, Tapper, who hosts “The Lead with Jake Tapper,” briefly reported on a new episode of O’Reilly’s “No Spin News” podcast, which marked O’Reilly’s first public on-air appearance since his departure from Fox. Tapper played part of O’Reilly’s podcast, in which the former Fox host appears to suggest that he will be vindicated when the “truth . . . come out. Tapper then made a quick aside, saying, “Oh, how the sleazy have fallen.”

In the months since leaving Fox, O’Reilly has been appearing weekly on Glenn Beck’s radio show. And in September, he released his newest book, “Killing England,” which this month climbed to the top of the New York Times’s bestsellers list.

Tapper and Hannity, too, have a history of previous feuds. In July, Hannity sent out an open call for people to bash Tapper, urging his viewers to “tell Fake News Jake Tapper exactly what you think” of him. Most people did the opposite.

[GreyhoundFan]

Hmmmm, fake news... "Retired ‘Navy SEAL’ praising Trump on Fox News was a fake"

Spoiler

Fox News ran a story on Oct. 8 about a decorated Vietnam War Navy SEAL and glass artist who created an enormous presidential glass seal he hoped to give to President Trump. On Thursday, 11 days later, the network retracted the story after being told the Trump supporter never served in the SEALs or in Vietnam, much less earned commendations for his service.

In the segment, John Garofalo, 72, a resident of New York state, said he served in the Vietnam War with a U.S. Navy SEAL team. Fox News reported that he also received two Purple Hearts and about two dozen other medals for his service.

The man’s claimed record turned out to be a fabrication. It was first discovered by former Navy SEALs. Both these SEALs and family members of Garofalo contacted Fox News about the story, according to the Navy Times.

Don Shipley, a retired SEAL, told the Navy Times that he contacted Fox on Oct. 9, the day after the story ran.

But the story was still on the news outlet’s Facebook page on Oct. 19. By then it had amassed 1.5 million views.

Fox published a correction on Thursday.

“All of Garofalo’s claims turned out to be untrue,” Fox’s correction stated. “The fact is that he did not serve in Vietnam. He was never a U.S. Navy SEAL. Even though he showed us medals, Garofalo was not awarded two Purple Hearts or any of the other nearly two dozen commendations he claimed to have received, except for the National Defense Service Medal.”

A Fox spokesman told the Navy Times it would run an on-air correction on Sunday.

“Fox News not withdrawing that story has drove me nutty,” Don Shipley, a retired SEAL who tracks down and exposes bogus military service claims and was the first to obtain official records disputing Garofalo’s story, told the Navy Times.

In the retracted segment, Fox News reporter Bryan Llenas repeatedly praised Garofalo for his service.

“Garofalo is used to working under pressure,” Llenas said. “The Vietnam War veteran served seven years as a member of the nation’s first Navy SEAL team. He was awarded 22 commendations, including two Purple Hearts.”

“You are a hero,” Llenas told him.

“God bless John Garofalo,” another anchor said. “We certainly hope maybe the president is listening.”

Shipley said he reached out to Llenas via Facebook, telling him that Garofalo was not a Vietnam War veteran.

“You can turn this story around,” he told Llenas, according to the Navy Times.

In its correction, Fox News said, “Over the last two weeks, we’ve worked with Garofalo’s family and the National Personnel Records Center to get to the bottom of a military past that Garofalo had claimed to be covert.”

Garofalo served in the Navy from Sept. 6, 1963, to Sept. 6, 1967, according to military records obtained by the Navy Times. He told the newspaper he has been lying about being a Vietnam veteran and a Navy SEAL for years.

“It got bigger and bigger,” Garofalo told the newspaper in a telephone interview. “What I did I‘m ashamed of, and I didn’t mean to cause so much disgrace to the SEALs.”

I'm sure if the TT tweets about it, he'll find a way to blame Hillary or Obama.

[GrumpyGran]

41 minutes ago, GreyhoundFan said:

Hmmmm, fake news... "Retired ‘Navy SEAL’ praising Trump on Fox News was a fake"

  Reveal hidden contents

Fox News ran a story on Oct. 8 about a decorated Vietnam War Navy SEAL and glass artist who created an enormous presidential glass seal he hoped to give to President Trump. On Thursday, 11 days later, the network retracted the story after being told the Trump supporter never served in the SEALs or in Vietnam, much less earned commendations for his service.

In the segment, John Garofalo, 72, a resident of New York state, said he served in the Vietnam War with a U.S. Navy SEAL team. Fox News reported that he also received two Purple Hearts and about two dozen other medals for his service.

The man’s claimed record turned out to be a fabrication. It was first discovered by former Navy SEALs. Both these SEALs and family members of Garofalo contacted Fox News about the story, according to the Navy Times.

Don Shipley, a retired SEAL, told the Navy Times that he contacted Fox on Oct. 9, the day after the story ran.

But the story was still on the news outlet’s Facebook page on Oct. 19. By then it had amassed 1.5 million views.

Fox published a correction on Thursday.

“All of Garofalo’s claims turned out to be untrue,” Fox’s correction stated. “The fact is that he did not serve in Vietnam. He was never a U.S. Navy SEAL. Even though he showed us medals, Garofalo was not awarded two Purple Hearts or any of the other nearly two dozen commendations he claimed to have received, except for the National Defense Service Medal.”

A Fox spokesman told the Navy Times it would run an on-air correction on Sunday.

“Fox News not withdrawing that story has drove me nutty,” Don Shipley, a retired SEAL who tracks down and exposes bogus military service claims and was the first to obtain official records disputing Garofalo’s story, told the Navy Times.

In the retracted segment, Fox News reporter Bryan Llenas repeatedly praised Garofalo for his service.

“Garofalo is used to working under pressure,” Llenas said. “The Vietnam War veteran served seven years as a member of the nation’s first Navy SEAL team. He was awarded 22 commendations, including two Purple Hearts.”

“You are a hero,” Llenas told him.

“God bless John Garofalo,” another anchor said. “We certainly hope maybe the president is listening.”

Shipley said he reached out to Llenas via Facebook, telling him that Garofalo was not a Vietnam War veteran.

“You can turn this story around,” he told Llenas, according to the Navy Times.

In its correction, Fox News said, “Over the last two weeks, we’ve worked with Garofalo’s family and the National Personnel Records Center to get to the bottom of a military past that Garofalo had claimed to be covert.”

Garofalo served in the Navy from Sept. 6, 1963, to Sept. 6, 1967, according to military records obtained by the Navy Times. He told the newspaper he has been lying about being a Vietnam veteran and a Navy SEAL for years.

“It got bigger and bigger,” Garofalo told the newspaper in a telephone interview. “What I did I‘m ashamed of, and I didn’t mean to cause so much disgrace to the SEALs.”

I'm sure if the TT tweets about it, he'll find a way to blame Hillary or Obama.

Fox News and Trump supporters: continuing to live up to their reputation as deplorables everyday!

[GreyhoundFan]

Maybe she should have stayed on Faux: "Megyn Kelly tries dancing for ratings as her ‘Today’ show continues to falter"

Spoiler

Megyn Kelly’s slot of the “Today” show desperately needs a ratings boost after less than a month on the air.

On Thursday, Hoda Kotb, the ever-upbeat popular “Today” host from another hour appeared as a guest. They chatted. They danced. They tried to get the audience on its feet dancing, too.

Critics hated the moment.

“I’ve never been so embarrassed,” tweeted BuzzFeed News’s Kate Aurthur. “I feel nothing but second-hand embarrassment for Megyn Kelly,” chimed in media critic Ian Miles Cheong. Vulture called the clip “22 nearly unbearable seconds.”

Last year, Kelly was a rising star on Fox News, earning national headlines for her dogged questioning of presidential candidate Donald Trump. But her short tenure on NBC’s “Megyn Kelly Today” continues to be challenging both for her and the network.

The show premiered on Sept. 25, and its ratings continue to tank.

The fallout is so worrisome to the network that other “Today” hosts have begun visiting Kelly’s show as if on a rescue mission, according to the trade publications. Matt Lauer, Al Roker and Savannah Guthrie all recently appeared. It could be “a strategic way to familiarize viewers with faces they already know and boost viewership,” according to Variety.

Her ratings aren’t even close to those of her predecessors, Tamron Hall and Al Roker, compared to their show during the same time-slot last year. During her debut week, Kelly’s show was down 12 percent in total viewership from that time slot last year. The second week brought in 24 percent fewer viewers, and the third week saw a 23 percent smaller audience, according to Nielsen data obtained by Variety.

Meanwhile, the show’s biggest direct competitor, ABC’s “Live With Kelly and Ryan,” has a healthy lead over Megyn Kelly. The ABC program drew 14 percent more viewers than Kelly during her first week and a robust 34 percent more during her second, according to Nielsen data obtained by BuzzFeed News.

Kelly’s show has been riddled with problems from the jump.

During the first week, she angered “Will & Grace” star Debra Messing by asking one of the show’s fans if he was homosexual because of the sitcom’s lead character, a gay lawyer named Will. Days later, she insulted Jane Fonda by asking the 79-year-old actress about her plastic surgery. Fonda was on the show with Robert Redford to promote their movie “Our Souls at Night.”

As time went on, the gaffes grew and her audience shrank.

Some problems weren’t her fault, such as when a cameraman walked on-screen while Kelly was interviewing soccer player Carli Lloyd. The cameraman then could be audibly heard muttering an expletive, which wasn’t bleeped since the show is aired live.

Other problems, though, fell entirely on Kelly’s shoulders. For instance, two days after a gunman killed 58 people and injured hundreds more in the Las Vegas mass shooting, she interrupted Tom Brokaw as the former “NBC Nightly News” anchor spoke out against the NRA. Kelly spoke over Brokaw, saying “Yep. Yep, got it. Gotta leave it at that, Tom. . . . We’re up against a hard break.”

The backlash was swift. 

“Megyn Kelly cutting off Tom Brokaw while he rails against the NRA is exactly why this woman has no place on TV,” Vogue culture writer Patricia Garcia said.

Kelly is now reportedly having trouble booking celebrity guests, unlike the other blocs of “Today,” according to Variety.

“I’m not booking anyone on her show,” one publicist, who requested not to be named, told the trade publication. “I literally haven’t pitched anyone even from right out the gate. The buzz that is out there is so bad.”

An NBC spokesperson denied the report.

Still, on many days, Kelly doesn’t have celebrities on her show at all, which is unusual for the “Today” franchise. Instead, she often relies on lifestyle stories and pretaped features. One recent nearly five-and-a-half-minute segment, for example, followed Kelly and her real-life family as they went camping.

“Sadly, I haven’t spent a lot of time outdoors since I moved to New York,” Kelly said. “I feel the disconnect — and I miss it.”

I wouldn't shed a tear if she lost her job with NBC and wasn't picked up by any other legitimate news company.

[GrumpyGran]

12 minutes ago, GreyhoundFan said:

Maybe she should have stayed on Faux: "Megyn Kelly tries dancing for ratings as her ‘Today’ show continues to falter"

  Reveal hidden contents

Megyn Kelly’s slot of the “Today” show desperately needs a ratings boost after less than a month on the air.

On Thursday, Hoda Kotb, the ever-upbeat popular “Today” host from another hour appeared as a guest. They chatted. They danced. They tried to get the audience on its feet dancing, too.

Critics hated the moment.

“I’ve never been so embarrassed,” tweeted BuzzFeed News’s Kate Aurthur. “I feel nothing but second-hand embarrassment for Megyn Kelly,” chimed in media critic Ian Miles Cheong. Vulture called the clip “22 nearly unbearable seconds.”

Last year, Kelly was a rising star on Fox News, earning national headlines for her dogged questioning of presidential candidate Donald Trump. But her short tenure on NBC’s “Megyn Kelly Today” continues to be challenging both for her and the network.

The show premiered on Sept. 25, and its ratings continue to tank.

The fallout is so worrisome to the network that other “Today” hosts have begun visiting Kelly’s show as if on a rescue mission, according to the trade publications. Matt Lauer, Al Roker and Savannah Guthrie all recently appeared. It could be “a strategic way to familiarize viewers with faces they already know and boost viewership,” according to Variety.

Her ratings aren’t even close to those of her predecessors, Tamron Hall and Al Roker, compared to their show during the same time-slot last year. During her debut week, Kelly’s show was down 12 percent in total viewership from that time slot last year. The second week brought in 24 percent fewer viewers, and the third week saw a 23 percent smaller audience, according to Nielsen data obtained by Variety.

Meanwhile, the show’s biggest direct competitor, ABC’s “Live With Kelly and Ryan,” has a healthy lead over Megyn Kelly. The ABC program drew 14 percent more viewers than Kelly during her first week and a robust 34 percent more during her second, according to Nielsen data obtained by BuzzFeed News.

Kelly’s show has been riddled with problems from the jump.

During the first week, she angered “Will & Grace” star Debra Messing by asking one of the show’s fans if he was homosexual because of the sitcom’s lead character, a gay lawyer named Will. Days later, she insulted Jane Fonda by asking the 79-year-old actress about her plastic surgery. Fonda was on the show with Robert Redford to promote their movie “Our Souls at Night.”

As time went on, the gaffes grew and her audience shrank.

Some problems weren’t her fault, such as when a cameraman walked on-screen while Kelly was interviewing soccer player Carli Lloyd. The cameraman then could be audibly heard muttering an expletive, which wasn’t bleeped since the show is aired live.

Other problems, though, fell entirely on Kelly’s shoulders. For instance, two days after a gunman killed 58 people and injured hundreds more in the Las Vegas mass shooting, she interrupted Tom Brokaw as the former “NBC Nightly News” anchor spoke out against the NRA. Kelly spoke over Brokaw, saying “Yep. Yep, got it. Gotta leave it at that, Tom. . . . We’re up against a hard break.”

The backlash was swift. 

“Megyn Kelly cutting off Tom Brokaw while he rails against the NRA is exactly why this woman has no place on TV,” Vogue culture writer Patricia Garcia said.

Kelly is now reportedly having trouble booking celebrity guests, unlike the other blocs of “Today,” according to Variety.

“I’m not booking anyone on her show,” one publicist, who requested not to be named, told the trade publication. “I literally haven’t pitched anyone even from right out the gate. The buzz that is out there is so bad.”

An NBC spokesperson denied the report.

Still, on many days, Kelly doesn’t have celebrities on her show at all, which is unusual for the “Today” franchise. Instead, she often relies on lifestyle stories and pretaped features. One recent nearly five-and-a-half-minute segment, for example, followed Kelly and her real-life family as they went camping.

“Sadly, I haven’t spent a lot of time outdoors since I moved to New York,” Kelly said. “I feel the disconnect — and I miss it.”

I wouldn't shed a tear if she lost her job with NBC and wasn't picked up by any other legitimate news company.

Yeah, no fucks to give for her. I have never actually watched her and don't plan to. Have better things to do, like stare out the window at nothing.

I'm having a hard time with Gretchen and her book tour, too. While I appreciate that she was the downfall of Roger Ailes, she didn't say anything until she was fired. Once she had nothing to lose, she went after him. I can't forget the years she sat on that couch, in her Faux News Female costume, with that half-startled look on her face while they systematically brainwashed a large portion of this country. Now she wants women to speak out! Right, Retchin'.

[GreyhoundFan]

"Report: Bill O’Reilly settled sixth sexual harassment claim for $32 million"

Spoiler

Former Fox News host Bill O’Reilly secretly settled a sexual harassment allegation with a network contributor for $32 million — the largest, by far, of six such agreements that eventually toppled the outspoken commentator, according to a new report.

The New York Times said Bill O’Reilly agreed to the settlement in January with Lis Wiehl, a longtime legal analyst at Fox who had worked with O’Reilly and had once offered him legal advice.

Despite knowledge of a settlement with Wiehl, Fox renewed its contract with O’Reilly in February, paying him $25 million per year over four years, the paper said.

In a brief interview on Saturday following publication of the Times story, O’Reilly declined to discuss details of the settlement with Wiehl, citing a confidentiality agreement. But he said he agreed to settle “to protect my children from the horror” of continuing adverse publicity had Wiehl’s allegations been litigated in court.

“That’s it,” he said. “I knew if I took this to court there would be three years of unrelenting headlines. That’s why I did it.”

Wiehl alleged that O’Reilly had repeatedly harassed her, had engaged in “a nonconsensual sexual relationship” with her, and had sent gay pornography and other sexually explicit material to her, the paper said.

O’Reilly spokesman Mark Fabiani released an affidavit on Saturday in which Wiehl acknowledged that O’Reilly forwarded her emails that had been sent to him, apparently while seeking legal advice from her about what to do about them.

“Additionally, over the years while I was acting as Bill O’Reilly’s counsel, he forwarded to me certain explicit emails that were sent to him, and any advice sought or rendered is attorney-client privileged, confidential and private,” she said in the affidavit, dated Jan. 17. “I have no claims against Bill O’Reilly concerning any of those emails or any of the allegations in the draft complaint.”

Wiehl also said in the affidavit, “We have since resolved all of our issues” and that she would “no longer make the allegations” contained in a draft complaint against O’Reilly that she had drawn up months before.

Fabiani confirmed that Wiehl signed the affidavit after reaching a monetary settlement with O’Reilly. He also declined to comment on the size of the settlement paid to Wiehl, saying both O’Reilly and Wiehl were bound by a confidentiality agreement.

In a statement, Fabiani said the affidavit repudiates “all allegations” against O’Reilly. “The Times ignored that evidence, sworn under oath, and chose to rely on unsubstantiated allegations, anonymous sources and incomplete leaked or stolen documents,” he wrote.

Fabiani said 21st Century had paid out “close to $100 million” to “dozens of women” who had alleged harassment by other men at the network. Fox re-signed O’Reilly earlier this year, he wrote, “after the company had analyzed and considered all the allegations against him.”

Times editor Dean Baquet, responding to Fabiani on Saturday, disputed his characterization of the paper’s reporting. “Mr. Fabiani, as often, addresses everything but what the story actually says,” Baquet said in an email. “This article like the others is accurate and deeply reported and we welcome any challenge to the facts.”

O’Reilly was fired in April by Fox News’s parent company, 21st Century Fox, after the Times revealed that he had settled with five former colleagues who had alleged harassment by him over more than a decade. Neither Fox nor 21st Century acknowledged the settlement with Wiehl at the time O’Reilly was fired.

If the Times’ figure is accurate, the latest settlement exceeds all of the previous agreements between O’Reilly and his accusers. The five agreements reportedly amounted to $13 million, and included a 2004 payment by O’Reilly to a former Fox producer named Andrea Mackris for $9 million.

Fox re-signed O’Reilly — the most popular figure in cable news — about seven months after a sexual harassment scandal involving its chairman and co-founder, Roger Ailes, exploded in July of 2016. At the time, the company had undertaken internal steps to root out and address complaints of employee harassment. 21st Century’s top executives, James and Lachlan Murdoch — the sons of Fox News co-founder Rupert Murdoch — had publicly pledged to improve the workplace culture at Fox.

Nevertheless, the Murdochs decided to re-sign O’Reilly, despite being aware of his history of settlements, including the one with Wiehl only a month before they began contract renewal talks. O’Reilly was not only the network’s marquee attraction, but his program was the single largest source of advertising revenue for Fox News, which is the most consistent profit center for 21st Century.

Ultimately, the Murdochs ousted O’Reilly after the initial Times report appeared in April, triggering an advertiser exodus from his program, “The O’Reilly Factor.” The new round of harassment allegations also seemed to threaten British approval of 21st Century’s multibillion-dollar purchase of Sky Broadcasting, a British-based satellite service.

The Murdochs subsequently booted Fox News’ president Bill Shine, who succeeded Ailes. Shine has been named as a defendant in several lawsuits by former Fox contributors and staffers.

Wiehl appeared regularly on O’Reilly’s program for 15 years, and said in her affidavit that she had worked with him, socialized with him and offered legal advice over an 18-year period.

Wow, $32 million.

[JMarie]

On 10/20/2017 at 4:32 PM, GrumpyGran said:

I'm having a hard time with Gretchen and her book tour, too.

Why is it that they always have a new book to promote?  Gretchen has one, the blond woman on Fox and Friends has one, even Bill O'Reilly has one.  And you just know all the former Trump Friends (Spicer, Priebus, Scaramucci, ect) have ghostwriters working on their books right now.

[GreyhoundFan]

"Bill O’Reilly is playing with fire by going after Megyn Kelly and Gretchen Carlson"

Spoiler

Bill O'Reilly is trying to discredit Megyn Kelly and Gretchen Carlson by publicizing friendly, handwritten letters they sent to him at unspecified dates in the past. His contention is that former colleagues' public criticisms should be viewed as posturing and piling on because they do not match the sentiments expressed when no one was watching.

O'Reilly is playing with fire here. By going after Kelly and Carlson, he is tempting them to reveal information they might otherwise keep to themselves.

That's how we got to this point. Carlson is an advocate for targets of sexual harassment, but it is clear that she would rather not — actually, cannot — rehash everything that happened at Fox News.

“I can't talk about that,” she replied last week when The Washington Post's Kathleen Parker asked about the level of support Carlson received at Fox News after alleging sexual harassment by then-chairman Roger Ailes in a lawsuit last year. “I can't talk about specifics about my time at Fox,” she added in a recent interview with Slate. Carlson settled her case for $20 million; settlements often impose restrictions on future disclosures.

Carlson can drop hints, however, and she appeared to do just that over the weekend, when O'Reilly responded defiantly to a New York Times report that he paid $32 million to settle a sexual harassment claim in January 2016.

... < Carlson's tweet: "Nobody pays $32m for false allegations - nobody" >

The wording of Carlson's tweet was generic, but the message carried the weight of someone with inside knowledge of the situation who overlapped for a decade at Fox News with O'Reilly and his accuser, attorney Lis Wiehl.

Although Carlson generally avoids discussing Fox News these days, she felt compelled to weigh in on O'Reilly's latest denial.

Similarly, Kelly was moved to speak out after O'Reilly's attorney issued a statement that claimed that “in the more than 20 years Bill O'Reilly worked at Fox News, not one complaint was filed against him with the human resources department or legal department by a co-worker, even on the anonymous hotline.”

“O'Reilly's suggestion that no one ever complained about his behavior is false,” Kelly asserted Monday on her NBC morning show. “I know because I complained.”

... < Kelly video >

One letter from Kelly is a baby gift thank-you note. Kelly had her three children between 2009 and 2013. A second letter thanks O'Reilly for promoting a novel authored by Kelly's husband, Douglas Brunt. Fox News transcripts show that O'Reilly plugged Brunt's “Ghosts of Manhattan” on Oct. 18, 2012.

The dates indicate that several years passed between Kelly's notes to O'Reilly and her complaint to network executives. That is plenty of time for Kelly's opinion of O'Reilly to sour.

The single letter from Carlson that O'Reilly posted includes no date markers. But there is nothing contradictory about what Carlson wrote in the past and what she is saying now. In the letter, Carlson thanked O'Reilly for “supporting me” and “for being my friend.”

It is possible O'Reilly was a good friend to Carlson at the same time that he allegedly harassed other women; the two behaviors would not be mutually exclusive. And Carlson's prior friendship with O'Reilly does not preclude her from condemning him today.

If O'Reilly wants Kelly, Carlson and others to stop talking about him, provoking them this way may not be the best strategy.

Sadly, O'Reilly's supporters don't care. They'll just scream "fake news".

[GrumpyGran]

56 minutes ago, GreyhoundFan said:

"Bill O’Reilly is playing with fire by going after Megyn Kelly and Gretchen Carlson"

  Reveal hidden contents

Bill O'Reilly is trying to discredit Megyn Kelly and Gretchen Carlson by publicizing friendly, handwritten letters they sent to him at unspecified dates in the past. His contention is that former colleagues' public criticisms should be viewed as posturing and piling on because they do not match the sentiments expressed when no one was watching.

O'Reilly is playing with fire here. By going after Kelly and Carlson, he is tempting them to reveal information they might otherwise keep to themselves.

That's how we got to this point. Carlson is an advocate for targets of sexual harassment, but it is clear that she would rather not — actually, cannot — rehash everything that happened at Fox News.

“I can't talk about that,” she replied last week when The Washington Post's Kathleen Parker asked about the level of support Carlson received at Fox News after alleging sexual harassment by then-chairman Roger Ailes in a lawsuit last year. “I can't talk about specifics about my time at Fox,” she added in a recent interview with Slate. Carlson settled her case for $20 million; settlements often impose restrictions on future disclosures.

Carlson can drop hints, however, and she appeared to do just that over the weekend, when O'Reilly responded defiantly to a New York Times report that he paid $32 million to settle a sexual harassment claim in January 2016.

... < Carlson's tweet: "Nobody pays $32m for false allegations - nobody" >

The wording of Carlson's tweet was generic, but the message carried the weight of someone with inside knowledge of the situation who overlapped for a decade at Fox News with O'Reilly and his accuser, attorney Lis Wiehl.

Although Carlson generally avoids discussing Fox News these days, she felt compelled to weigh in on O'Reilly's latest denial.

Similarly, Kelly was moved to speak out after O'Reilly's attorney issued a statement that claimed that “in the more than 20 years Bill O'Reilly worked at Fox News, not one complaint was filed against him with the human resources department or legal department by a co-worker, even on the anonymous hotline.”

“O'Reilly's suggestion that no one ever complained about his behavior is false,” Kelly asserted Monday on her NBC morning show. “I know because I complained.”

... < Kelly video >

One letter from Kelly is a baby gift thank-you note. Kelly had her three children between 2009 and 2013. A second letter thanks O'Reilly for promoting a novel authored by Kelly's husband, Douglas Brunt. Fox News transcripts show that O'Reilly plugged Brunt's “Ghosts of Manhattan” on Oct. 18, 2012.

The dates indicate that several years passed between Kelly's notes to O'Reilly and her complaint to network executives. That is plenty of time for Kelly's opinion of O'Reilly to sour.

The single letter from Carlson that O'Reilly posted includes no date markers. But there is nothing contradictory about what Carlson wrote in the past and what she is saying now. In the letter, Carlson thanked O'Reilly for “supporting me” and “for being my friend.”

It is possible O'Reilly was a good friend to Carlson at the same time that he allegedly harassed other women; the two behaviors would not be mutually exclusive. And Carlson's prior friendship with O'Reilly does not preclude her from condemning him today.

If O'Reilly wants Kelly, Carlson and others to stop talking about him, provoking them this way may not be the best strategy.

Sadly, O'Reilly's supporters don't care. They'll just scream "fake news".

I saw him on TV today with his righteous indignation crap. He acts like he's being flayed alive and people are eating his children. You'd think he would realize that no one has any sympathy for him, he is the most offensive jackass on the face of the earth. I don't think I've ever heard him say something when he wasn't snarling.

[47of74]

Oh, how nice, he's blaming God for him being an asshole

Quote

Bill O'Reilly has repeatedly blamed reports of sexual misconduct on a politically motivated media. On Monday, he admitted that he also blames a higher power.

"You know, am I mad at God? Yeah, I'm mad at him," O'Reilly said on the latest episode of his web series, "No Spin News." "I wish I had more protection. I wish this stuff didn't happen. I can't explain it to you. Yeah, I'm mad at him." 

He then said that he derives perspective from the tribulations of others, including Kate Steinle, a woman who was allegedly shot by an undocumented immigrant who has been the subject of numerous O'Reilly commentaries. 

O'Reilly's response to allegations of sexual harassment and inappropriate behavior has been consistent. He's emphatically denied the claims, insisting that his wealth and fame make him a target for such accusations. And he's denounced the press that has reported on the allegations -- and the ensuing settlements -- as corrupt and desperate to take him down.

 

[GrumpyGran]

8 hours ago, 47of74 said:

Oh, how nice, he's blaming God for him being an asshole

 

I saw that! Yes, Bill O'Reilly thinks he's going to go talk to God and chastise him. This guy is the Grand Pooh-bah of Arrogant Pricks. He probably lectures the priest at confession.

[Flossie]

OK, let me get this straight.  Bill O'Reilly blames God for not protecting him from the fallout of his own bad behavior.  Or maybe he's blaming God for not preventing the women he's abused from speaking out.  I know he is still insisting that he never did anything wrong and all allegations leveled against him are from people trying to take him down for his political views, or trying to get some of his money, but in the end, O'Reilly blames God for his troubles.

What does that say about a man who admits that no matter what, God should be his bodyguard, PR agent, and the ultimate fixer?  The NPD is strong with this one.

[Howl]

5 hours ago, Flossie said:

I know he is still insisting that he never did anything wrong and all allegations leveled against him are from people trying to take him down for his political views, or trying to get some of his money, but in the end, O'Reilly blames God for his troubles.

Somewhere in there, he claims he caved and paid the money to protect his children from (presumably) the false claims of horrible and greedy wimmins.  

He really is desperate and seems to believe that he can somehow rehabilitate himself.  Is he like Trump, unable to live without adulation?

[JMarie]

On 10/23/2017 at 10:12 AM, JMarie said:

Why is it that they always have a new book to promote?  Gretchen has one, the blond woman on Fox and Friends has one, even Bill O'Reilly has one.  And you just know all the former Trump Friends (Spicer, Priebus, Scaramucci, ect) have ghostwriters working on their books right now.

Sean Hannity went a step further.  Sure, he's "written" books (three, according to Amazon, and one he "co-wrote" with cranky ex-sheriff David Clarke).  But did you know he executive produced a movie?  It will be in "select" theaters on Friday, and it looks dreadful!

 

caution:  there's a Hannity sighting at the end of the trailer

[Cartmann99]

@JMarie, just out of curiosity, has Hannity been promoting this movie on his TV show? 

I want Bill O'Reilly to end up shilling catheters and used Trumpy Bears on a network that only shows that horrid Star Wars Holiday Special from 1978. 

 

[GrumpyGran]

7 hours ago, Cartmann99 said:

that horrid Star Wars Holiday Special from 1978. 

OMG, I remember that! 

[JMarie]

12 hours ago, Cartmann99 said:

@JMarie, just out of curiosity, has Hannity been promoting this movie on his TV show? 

I want Bill O'Reilly to end up shilling catheters and used Trumpy Bears on a network that only shows that horrid Star Wars Holiday Special from 1978. 

 

Confession:  I only watch him occasionally, because I can't stomach too much of him.  He mentioned it last night.  I fast-forwarded through most of the show because I wanted to what Ivanka said.  Like her brother Eric, she was shuffled to the last ten minutes of the program, and like her brother, didn't say anything substantial.