Amid the damaging sexual harassment allegations that have emerged against Bill O’Reilly this month, Fox News Channel’s top-rated host announced he is taking a “vacation.”
At the end of his show, The O’Reilly Factor, on Tuesday, the host said he had scheduled a trip “last fall,” which would have been long before the New York Times published a story revealing that O’Reilly and his network have paid $13 million to five women as settlements for sexual harassment complaints.
Around this time of year, O’Reilly said on his show, “I grab some vacation, because it’s spring and Easter time. Last fall, I booked a trip that should be terrific.” He will return April 24, Fox News told reporters.
O’Reilly spokesperson Mark Fabiani said O’Reilly will be replaced by substitute hosts during his absence.
The host’s apparent vacation comes after dozens of companies have pulled advertisements from his show, demonstrating a mass exodus from the airwaves in the wake of news of the accusations against O’Reilly.
No information was immediately available on how Fox will use his time slot.
Companies’ advertising time on The O’Reilly Factor has been cut by more than half since the Times report, according to an analysis released Tuesday by Kantar Media.
In the month before the Times report, The O’Reilly Factor carried an average of 33 national ads totaling more than 14 minutes in an average broadcast, according to Kantar Media data. On Friday, the show included just seven spots totaling 4 minutes and 40 seconds, leaving free airtime Fox News has filled with extra content on O’Reilly’s show.