O’Reilly in talks with Newsmax TV: report

Conservative media network Newsmax TV is in talks with Bill O’Reilly for a show on the network, Newsmax Media CEO Chris Ruddy confirmed to Politico on Wednesday. 

The report indicates a person familiar with the discussions says O’Reilly and his agent are set to meet with the Florida-based Ruddy in New York next week.

The 68-year-old former Fox News host was ousted from the network in April amid sexual harassment allegations. He had been the most-watched host in cable news for 15 years. 

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“We don’t think Bill O’Reilly’s career is over. He does have a market. We’re very interested and exploring looking at that,” Ruddy said to Politico. “He’s a significant talent. There are obviously issues we’d have to deal with, with him and the public, to see how that could fit. We’re open to having that conversation with him. We’ve not closed the door to having him on Newsmax TV.”

O’Reilly has been a guest on several national programs, including NBC’s “Today” and Sean Hannity’s prime-time Fox News program to promote his bestselling book, “Killing England.”

A New York Times report last month revealed O’Reilly had paid former Fox News legal analyst Lis Wiehl $32 million to settle sexual harassment allegations she made against him. O’Reilly has also paid $13 million to five women per an April New York Times report. 

O’Reilly already uses Newsmax’s Manhattan studio on some days when not taping his “No Spin News” digital program from his home studio in Long Island.

“People like the casualness of the home office and then the formality here,” O’Reilly said on a show last month. “We’re very pleased to be here at the studios of Newsmax, which is a great website. You should check it out.”

Newsmax TV currently reaches 35 million homes.

The news comes as Sinclair’s Broadcast Group’s CEO said this week the company is not interested in signing O’Reilly.

“We get approached by people all the time, which is probably where these reports were coming from,” Chris Ripley said during a conference call with Wall Street analysts, according to Deadline Hollywood.

“He did approach us. We do not have any interest in hiring him,” Ripley said.

The Hill has reached out to O’Reilly and Newsmax for comment.