William James O'Reilly Jr.[1] (born September 10, 1949) is an American conservative commentator, journalist, author, and television host.
O'Reilly's broadcasting career began during the late 1970s and 1980s, when he reported for local television stations in the United States and later for CBS News and ABC News, the former of which earned O'Reilly two Emmy Awards and two National Headliner Awards for excellence in reporting.[2] He anchored the tabloidtelevision program Inside Edition from 1989 to 1995. O'Reilly joined the Fox News Channel in 1996 and hosted the news commentary program The O'Reilly Factor until 2017. The O'Reilly Factor had been the highest-rated cable news show for 16 years, and he was described by media analyst Howard Kurtz as "the biggest star in the 20-year history at Fox News" at the time of his departure.[8]
In 2017, O'Reilly was dismissed from Fox News following a report by The New York Times that he had settled five lawsuits involving sexual misconduct.[13] Since then, O'Reilly has hosted the No Spin News podcast where it has also expanded into a television program, first airing on Newsmax, then on The First. He also makes appearances on NewsNation frequently, discussing political topics that arise.[18]