Bill O'Reilly's sexual harassment scandal is drastically changing the structure of his cable news show

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Bill O'Reilly's sexual harassment scandal is drastically changing the structure of his cable news show

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Thomson Reuters

The advertising exodus from Bill O'Reilly's Fox News show is having an impact on the format of the program itself.

Fewer commercials have aired during "O'Reilly Factor, according to TVNewser. About 13 minutes and 35 seconds worth of commercials had aired on Wednesday's program — about 5 minutes less than Monday's show. 

Amid the withdrawals, Fox News' ad sales chief said commercial spots that were moved out of O'Reilly's timeslot were programmed to other shows on the network, but that strategy may also change if the exodus continues to gain steam.

"I think that if the public and if advertisers continue to push on their beliefs and move away from O’Reilly, then Fox News may also follow suit," said Mimi Chakravorti, the executive director of a brand consulting firm, in an interview with TVNewser. "It’s a difficult decision because advertising isn’t the only way they make their money, but it’s a significant way in which they make their money."

This structural shift comes after around 50 advertisers pulled their commercials from O'Reilly's time slot in the last few days.

Despite a scorching New York Times report that claimed five women received more than $13 million in settlments over allegations of sexual harassment against O'Reilly, the show still managed to draw the attention of more than 3.76 million people on Tuesday — a 20% bump from the previous week — according to data from Nielsen Media Research cited by Variety. 

"We value our partners and are working with them to address their current concerns about the O’Reilly Factor," Paul Rittenberg, executive vice president of sales, said in a statement to Business Insider. 

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See Also:

• Bill O'Reilly's latest book offers 'old school' tips on how to treat women
• Here are all the companies and organizations that have pulled ads from Bill O'Reilly's show after he was accused of sexual harassment
• Mercedes-Benz reportedly pulls ads from Bill O'Reilly's show after allegations of sexual harassment

SEE ALSO: 'We value our partners': Fox News responds to growing list of advertisers who have dropped 'The O'Reilly Factor'

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April 6, 2017 at 01:18PM