The L-A Times reports the conservative talk channel, called the First, is offered on Pluto TV, the ad-supported internet-based video service that ViacomCBS acquired last year for $340 million, The petition asks that the service remove the channel unless O’Reilly’s program, which began running on the First on June 2, is dropped.
The petition, first reported by the Information website, says O’Reilly has “a well-documented history of making racist comments, denying the existence of systemic racism, undermining the efforts of Black protesters and insulting Black public figures.”
Numerous networks are being pressured to reassess their programming in response to simmering nationwide outrage and protests over the death of Floyd, the unarmed Black man who died after a white Minneapolis police officer pressed a knee on his neck for nearly nine minutes.
ViacomCBS announced Tuesday that its Paramount cable network would no longer run the reality series “Cops,” as pop culture portrayals of law enforcement are under close scrutiny. WarnerMedia has removed the 1939 classic film “Gone With The Wind” from its HBO Max streaming service until it can be presented with historical context on its depiction of Black people and slavery in the South.
In a statement to The Times, ViacomCBS said it has no plans to drop the First, saying the company does not interfere with the programming decisions of the channels carried by Pluto TV.
“Pluto TV, by design, is a service that makes available a wide variety of channels programmed by third parties, and we think it is critical to represent a diversity of viewpoints, even those we disagree with,” the company said.
Pluto TV carries more than 200 channels and its offerings include left-leaning talk programs such as “The Young Turks.”
The First channel, which reaches about 25 million households, is also carried by Xumo, an ad-supported streaming service that Comcast Corp. is acquiring. Xumo is a Pluto competitor.
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