Americans Supported Axing O’Reilly

Americans were increasingly critical of Bill O’Reilly and less inclined to watch his show before the now-former Fox News host was dismissed amid claims he sexually harassed at least half a dozen women.

The need for Fox to act may have intensified as public pressure grew to drop O’Reilly, who faced a growing number of accusers. A Morning Consult poll conducted last week showed an increasing plurality were in favor of axing “The O’Reilly Factor.”

And on Wednesday, 21st Century Fox, Fox News’ parent company, did just that, saying the decision was made that O’Reilly would not come back to the channel.

Nearly half (46 percent) of those polled last week thought Fox News should cancel the show, compared to just 22 percent who said the network should keep it on the air. A poll conducted earlier this month showed over a third (41 percent) of people said Fox News should cancel “The O’Reilly Factor.”

Those figures rose even among self-described viewers of the show, with 23 percent of them saying it should be canceled, up from 19 percent April 6-9. And fewer people admitted to watching the show compared to that earlier polling: Among all respondents, there was a 6-point drop in people who said they watch “The O’Reilly Factor.”

A lack of support for the show spanned generations, as a plurality of each age group — from millennials to baby boomers — said Fox News should cancel O’Reilly’s show. Those figures increased across each demographic, with the exception of a 2-point decline among people aged 65 years or older.

Polling was conducted among 2,201 adults between April 13-15.