As O’Reilly Loses at Least 60 Advertisers Fox News Announces Investigation Into Sexual Harassment Allegations

Can O’Reilly Survive at Fox News?

When forced, Fox News investigated allegations of sexual harassment against its chairman and CEO Roger Ailes, ultimately parting ways with the man who created the network two decades earlier. Now, Fox News host Bill O’Reilly, the face of the network’s top show, is facing the possibility of a similar fate.

One week ago The New York Times reported Fox News, its parent company, and O’Reilly paid five women a total of $13 million to settle sexual harassment claims against the conservative political commentator. Immediately, advertisers began to pull out. Now, at least 60 sponsors have announced they will not support “The O’Reilly Factor,” according to CNN.

Also last week, in light of the New York Times article, several women steppe forward to say that they too were sexually harassed by Bill O’Reilly.

The network is not ignoring the allegations.

“I’m told that they are taking it seriously, and they are going to do the investigation that’s legally required of them,” attorney Lisa Bloom told CNN’s Brian Stelter on Sunday.

Fox News also told CNN it “investigates all complaints and we have asked the law firm Paul Weiss to continue assisting the company in these serious matters.”

Meanwhile, there’s an active campaign on social media targeting advertisers who remain with O’Reilly. Angie’s List initially had stated it would allow its customers to make decisions for themselves, but by week’s end they switched gears and pulled support from the show.

Think Progress editor Judd Legum has been among those at the forefront of documenting advertisers who stay or go.

The New York Times “Mediator” column Sunday noted “O’Reilly first rose at Fox by riding hard against the ethical lapses of former President Bill Clinton, who, he said at the time, couldn’t ‘adhere to a decent standard of behavior.'”

But now, it’s “O’Reilly who stands accused of showing poor values; of playing the victim, suggesting in a statement that his prominence has made him an easy mark for opportunistic women seeking a payday.”

For help, Mr. O’Reilly has turned to none other than a man who took a leading role in defending Mr. Clinton from the likes of Mr. O’Reilly in the 1990s, the former White House aide and Democratic strategist Mark Fabiani.

Will O’Reilly survive? 

Time will tell.

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