Bill O'Reilly calls his ouster a hit job, business decision
NEW YORK — Bill O’Reilly said Tuesday that his firing from Fox News Channel in April was a “political hit job” and that his network’s parent company made a business decision to get rid of him.
The deposed king of cable television news had a contentious interview with Matt Lauer on NBC’s “Today” show, where he said his conscience was clear about how he dealt with women in the working world.
O’Reilly was dismissed by 21st Century Fox following a review prompted by a report in The New York Times that five women had been paid a total of $13 million to keep quiet about disturbing encounters with the Fox host.
At the time, the network was nine months past removing its founding CEO, Roger Ailes, following harassment charges. The combative O’Reilly had spent years as the most-watched figure in cable TV news.
A spokesman for 21st Century Fox declined to comment Tuesday on O’Reilly’s interview.
