The O'Reilly Factor (originally titled The O'Reilly Report and also known as The Factor) is an American cable television news and talk show. The O'Reilly Factor first aired in the United States on Fox News Channel on October 7, 1996, the same day the network launched. It was hosted by independent commentator Bill O'Reilly, who discussed current events and controversial political issues with guests. The final episode aired on April 21, 2017, after O'Reilly was fired from the network.
Format
The O'Reilly Factor was generally pre-recorded, though on occasion it aired live if breaking news or special events were being covered (e.g., presidential addresses that occurred during prime-time and debate coverage). It was usually taped between 5:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. Eastern Time and aired weekdays at 8:00 p.m. and 11:00 p.m. The show was recorded "live to tape", meaning that the recording broke for commercials as if the show was actually on the air while being recorded. Some guests were interviewed before the "live to tape" period and were slotted in the program as appropriate. He began every show with the catch phrase from September 2004 to April 11, 2017, "Caution! You are about to enter the No Spin Zone. The Factor begins right now!" followed by the theme song, and then saying "Hi, I'm Bill O'Reilly, thanks for watching us tonight," introducing the topic of the first segment, followed by "and that is the subject of this evening's Talking Points Memo", a monologue which was often followed with an interview on the same topic.
O'Reilly and his producers discussed potential topics twice a week. Guest hosts included: Eric Bolling, Monica Crowley, Greg Gutfeld, E. D. Hill, Laura Ingraham, John Kasich, Michelle Malkin, Tony Snow, and Juan Williams.
Audience
Early in 2009, the show's ratings increased. In July 2009, Hal Boedeker blogged that The O'Reilly Factor peaked at 3.1 million viewers which was an increase of 37% from the previous year. In September 2009, The O'Reilly Factor was the #1 cable news show for 106 consecutive weeks. In May 2014, The O'Reilly Factor still held this top position, but average monthly viewers were down to 2.1 million, with a median age of 72 years. In March 2015, The O'Reilly Factor remained at the number one spot on cable news ratings for its 60th consecutive quarter, experiencing 19% growth in viewership among individuals aged 25 to 54 years old.
Ratings were initially high after sexual harassment allegations against O'Reilly resurfaced in April 2017. In the time during Bill O'Reilly's week-long vacation preceding his firing (in which Dana Perino guest hosted), the ratings dropped 26%.
Notable guests
Michelle Malkin was a frequent guest host. A conservative commentator, she began boycotting the show in 2007 due to controversy involving remarks made against her by Geraldo Rivera over her position on illegal immigration.
2008 presidential contenders
Fox News producers had tried for years to get Hillary Clinton to come on the show. On April 30, 2008, Clinton agreed to come on the show as part of a pre-taped interview that would be broadcast over two days. The host also held an exclusive, four-part interview with then-presidential candidate Barack Obama. Both interviews drew significant media attention as they were front runners for the 2008 presidential election. In the same election cycle, Ron Paul and O'Reilly got into a testy exchange over the issue of Iran. The 2008 Republican candidate for vice president, Sarah Palin, and then Democratic vice presidential candidate Joe Biden were also invited to the show, but chose not to make an appearance.
Cultural impact
In 2005, The Colbert Report premiered on Comedy Central. The show, hosted by Stephen Colbert, was a satirical spoof of pundit shows like The O'Reilly Factor, spoofing its format and the mannerisms and ideology of O'Reilly, whom Colbert called "Papa Bear." Colbert made no secret of his spoofing O'Reilly: upon hearing the news that O'Reilly approved of The Colbert Report, he declared on-air that "I like you too. In fact, if it wasn't for you, this show wouldn't exist." On January 18, 2007, Colbert appeared on The O'Reilly Factor and O'Reilly appeared on The Colbert Report. After O'Reilly left his show, the character Colbert played on The Colbert Report appeared "via satellite" on his new show, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, to bid a satirical farewell to Bill.