We are officially entering the Spin Zone.
If you didn’t know better, you’d think sexual harassment played no discernible role in Bill O’Reilly‘s departure from Fox News. The company’s CEO Rupert Murdoch announced the news that the host is leaving the network Tuesday.
But in an internal email, he and his two sons, Lachlan and James, cushioned the blow with talk of how O’Reilly is one of the most “accomplished” TV personalities in the history of cable news.
There’s absolutely no mention of sexual harassment or the $13 million that O’Reilly doled out to his accusers in the past decade.
The internal memo makes it sound like O’Reilly and the Murdochs reached a mutual compatible conclusion to what has been a PR mess.
Colleagues,
We’d like to address questions about Bill O’Reilly’s future at Fox News. After a thorough and careful review of allegations against him, the Company and Bill O’Reilly have agreed that Mr. O’Reilly will not return to the Fox News Channel.
This decision follows an extensive review done in collaboration with outside counsel.
By ratings standards, Bill O’Reilly is one of the most accomplished TV personalities in the history of cable news. In fact, his success by any measure is indisputable. Fox News has demonstrated again and again the strength of its talent bench. We have full confidence that the network will continue to be a powerhouse in cable news.
Lastly, and most importantly, we want to underscore our consistent commitment to fostering a work environment built on the values of trust and respect.
Best,
Rupert
Lachlan
James