The New York Times reported on April 1 that Fox and O'Reilly, a 20-year veteran of the conservative cable network, paid five women a total of $13 million to settle harassment claims.
O'Reilly's ouster shocked the television news industry, including Fox's own employees. Fox's longtime CEO Roger Ailes resigned abruptly amid similar sexual harassment charges last July. The network's parent company, 21st Century Fox, announced the move in a statement Wednesday.
That certainly could happen, though it probably won't be easy.
Kurtz had filed a story on Fox's website earlier in the afternoon, but it didn't get mentioned on-air until he appeared Wednesday. In the fallout, The Associated Press reported that about 60 sponsors had withdrawn advertisements for "The O'Reilly Factor".
With a profit center gone, 21st Century Fox stock fell nearly 1 percent Wednesday in heavy trading. Dozens of his show's advertisers fled within days, even though O'Reilly's viewership increased.
For O'Reilly, who has been with Fox since October 1996, it marks a stunning downfall.
Tucker Carlson will replace O'Reilly in the 8 p.m. ET time slot.
O'Reilly, who has been off the air on holidays since April 11 and has been denied a chance to say goodbye to his Fox viewers, did so via a statement.
Strong start to 2017 bodes well for Canada, International Monetary Fund says
Oil prices have surged almost 40 per cent in the past year, partly because oil-producing countries agreed to curb production. An IMF official explained that the economic momentum in Canada hasn't been reflected in its latest analysis due to timing.
"The O'Reilly Factor" has been the most watched programme on Fox News and was coming off the highest-rated first quarter in its history, averaging 4 million viewers, according to Nielsen. "You have also been loyal, and we can't tell you how much that means to everyone on The Factor".
O'Reilly is also one of the country's most popular nonfiction authors. It's home to movie and TV studios; a slew of sports and other cable channels; and the Fox broadcast network and shows like "The Simpsons", "Family Guy", and its latest hit, "Empire".
"I understand how hard this has been for many of you", Rupert Murdoch said in a memo to Fox staff. It's now trying again, although a United Kingdom media regulator must certify that the combined company would be a "fit and proper" owner of the broadcaster.
As the news rolled into Twitter, users reacted accordingly.
O'Reilly had not directly denied the allegations, saying he was "vulnerable to lawsuits from individuals who want me to pay them to avoid negative publicity".
Inside the company too, women expressed outrage and questioned whether top executives were serious about maintaining a culture based on "trust and respect". More than 50 advertisers withdrew from his prime-time show, and 21st Century Fox asked a law firm to investigate a complaint from a woman who said O'Reilly dropped efforts to make her a contributor in 2013 after she turned down his invitation to visit his hotel room.
O'Reilly said in an April 1 statement that he had been unfairly targeted because of his public prominence.
Bill O'Reilly lost his job on Wednesday, and Donald Trump should be next.
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