Former Fox News host Bill O’Reilly gets new show on radio station owned by Trump ally

Former Fox News host Bill O’Reilly has landed a new show on a New York-based radio station owned by one of President Donald Trump’s allies. 

77 WABC has signed O’Reilly to a show that will air Monday through Friday from 10-11 p.m., the station’s owner, John Catsimatidis, told CNBC.

O’Reilly’s first show on the network is set for Monday, he added. Catsimatidis has been a vocal supporter of the president’s. He bought the station last year and has created a show lineup with a slew of Trump loyalists, including a program hosted by the president’s attorney Rudy Giuliani. 

The new show, called “Common Sense with Bill O’Reilly,” marks the latest stage of O’Reilly’s attempted comeback since he left Fox News under controversial circumstances. O’Reilly, 71, has been accused by multiple former Fox News employees of sexual harassment. He has denied any wrongdoing. The network ended his show in 2017 after the revelation of several expensive settlements for the alleged harassment. Before he left the network, his show had been a major ratings driver since 1996.

Since his departure from Fox, O’Reilly called reporting of the accusations and settlements by The New York Times a “smear” and has moved on from his “O’Reilly Factor” into a show called “No Spin News.” It airs on his website, on YouTube and on a conservative over-the-top streaming network known as “The First.” The channel streams on several platforms, including Pluto TV, an internet television service owned by ViacomCBS. 

O’Reilly has also interviewed Trump himself after leaving Fox News. 

Catsimatidis, who has a net worth of $2.8 billion and also owns the New York City grocery chain Gristedes, said O’Reilly will be following Giuliani’s show, which will move from the 3 p.m. slot to 9 p.m. Catsimatidis has been contemplating a run for mayor of New York City in 2021 and recently told the New York Post that he would be willing to spend $100 million if he decides to get into the race. Catsimatidis ran for mayor in 2013 but lost in the Republican primary. 

CNBC first reported on O’Reilly’s contract negotiations with WABC in August, as his attorney Fred Newman confirmed at the time the two sides were in high-level discussions and expecting a show in the fall. Newman did not respond to a request for comment on Friday. 

Juliet Huddy, who was once a Fox News personality and has previously accused O’Reilly of harassment, is a co-host of one of WABC’s shows. Huddy, after the initial report on O’Reilly’s possible contract with the station, tweeted: “Company Christmas party should be a real zinger this year.”

Article source: https://www.cnbc.com/2020/09/11/bill-oreilly-gets-new-show-on-radio-station-owned-by-trump-ally.html