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Friday, April 21, 2017

What's Next For Bill O'Reilly?

Now that Bill O'Reilly is out at Fox News, talk has begun about where the cable TV heavyweight and best-selling author might land for his inevitable comeback.

But, reports USAToday, the tarnish from multiple accusations of sexual harassment will likely cause major broadcast and cable networks to shy away.

"He is radioactive in terms of any other news network," said Mark Feldstein, a broadcast journalism professor at the University of Maryland, College Park, and a former journalist at NBC. "He is certainly not going to go to any of the big three or CNN or MSNBC."

When a non-compete clause, expected to run at least six months, runs out, O'Reilly would be free to take to the air again. If a major broadcast or cable channel is out of the question, O'Reilly could get to work sooner and he can survey many other media outlets as a route for his return, said Feldstein, based on his knowledge of typical broadcast contracts.

Among the possible new homes: Newsmax Media, a conservative media company with a TV network (on cable and online), website, magazine and newsletter; One America News Network (OANN), a conservative TV network on DirecTV and several cable systems; and Sinclair Broadcast Group, the Baltimore, Md.-based TV operator with 173 stations and other properties such as the Tennis Channel.

If O'Reilly is willing, Newsmax would be "a really good fit" for him, said Michael Harrison, publisher of Talkers magazine, which follows the talk radio business. "It is conservative and could use that one extra superstar component that O’ Reilly could offer to make it the complete package," he said. "(O'Reilly) might have to take a cut in immediate salary, but he could play a role in being part of a building process on a platform that is already off to a good start within the conservative media community and enjoy solid 'ground floor' positioning in the process going forward."

Newsmax CEO Christopher Ruddy told CNNMoney on Wednesday, "I'd love to talk to him."

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