Bill O’Reilly, former television host at Fox has allegedly been speaking to Sean Hannity about bringing their success into a new TV network.
Gabriel Sherman of the New York Magazine has reported that Hannity and O’Reilly have been discussing the possibility of joining Sinclair Broadcasting, a media outlet leaning towards the more conservative side, reaching a massive audience.
Sherman spoke of this on Joy Reid’s show on MSNBC, where he is now a contributor.
“My sources in and around Fox say that [Hannity] and Bill O’Reilly are potentially in talks to take their shows to Sinclair,” said Sherman on the show. “Bill O’Reilly has wanted to get back into the game.”
He added that Sinclair has been eager to build an empire of the conservative media, and that they may achieve the goal by fishing out some of the big names on Fox. He believes that it may become the largest platform for conservative media since the Roger Ailes period.
.@GABRIELSHERMAN's sources tell him Bill O'Reilly could be coming back to TV via Sinclair media. Thoughts? #AMJoy https://t.co/RTQOE82QR1
— AM Joy w/Joy Reid (@amjoyshow) July 23, 2017
Sherman appeared on MSNBC around two weeks after he renewed his comments on TV, adding that O’Reilly has also been negotiating with Newsmax network:
As I reported this morning on @amjoyshow, Bill O'Reilly has talked Hannity about teaming up to go to Sinclair Broadcasting, sources say.
— Gabriel Sherman (@gabrielsherman) July 23, 2017
Impt to note O'Reilly also considering @newsmax TV as a possibly landing pad
— Gabriel Sherman (@gabrielsherman) July 23, 2017
He tweeted, however, that he is doubtful that Hannity and O’Reilly will form an alliance the two have not really been best friends in the past:
I'm skeptical though of an O'Reilly-Hannity alliance because the two had a lot of bad blood from their time at Fox News
— Gabriel Sherman (@gabrielsherman) July 23, 2017
Fox News fired O’Reilly in April due to sexual harassment allegations, during his work at Fox. The plaintiff and O’Reilly settled in court, and he later claimed he was not guilty, but he wanted the claims to just go away.
Since O’Reilly left Fox News, people have raised the question where he would end up, since he was the major anchor of cable news TV for many years. The journalist later said he was still interested in working in television. In the meantime, he has found himself hosting a website podcast, at BillOReilly.com and has been co-hosting the radio show of Glenn Beck on Friday.
He has many times given hints that he would do a television show.
Hannity, on the other hand, has appeared to be doing well at Fox News. The reporter has some of the highest scores on the network, and succeeded in the office with President Donald Trump. Hannity’s future has been in the question since James and Lachlan, Rupert Murdoch’s sons have started running the everyday operations and Fox’s Bill Shine has gone.
What happens next in the media of conservatives is yet to be seen, but no matter where Hannity and O’Reilly end up, the massive audience they have accumulated over the years will follow.
