UltraViolet on Bill O’Reilly’s $25m Pay-Out, Calls for Fox CEO Bill Shine to Be Fired
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Thursday, April 20, 2017
CONTACT: Yasmina Dardari | 407-922-8149 | yasmina@unbendablemedia.com
UltraViolet on Bill O’Reilly’s $25m Pay-Out, Calls for Fox News CEO Bill Shine to Be Fired
NEW YORK — Earlier today,, it was reported that recently ousted Fox News host Bill O’Reilly will leave the network with a $25 million payout, after the network severed ties with the host in the wake of a sexual harassment scandal. The $25m payout represents one year of Bill O’Reilly’s salary at the network. Last year, Fox News paid $40m to Roger Ailes when he was fired for sexual harassment and assault. In just the past year, Fox News has paid more than $65m to serial sexual abusers.
In reaction to the news, Karin Roland, Chief Campaigns Officer of UltraViolet, issued the following statement:
“In the past year alone, in response to a rampant culture of sexual abuse at Fox News, 21st Century Fox has paid out more than of $65 million in golden parachutes to the male serial sexual abusers. That is more than four times what they have paid to the women who were the victims of this abusive culture. This is disgusting. Shareholders, advertisers, Fox News employees and viewers should be deeply disturbed by the perverse incentives at Fox News —in which serial sexual abusers walk away with big checks and zero accountability.
“This is only possible because Fox News executives, specifically CEO BIll Shine, did nothing to hold O’Reilly, or Allies, accountable—and in fact made the situation worse by knowingly signing a new contract with a serial sexual predator. Shine, who helped settle the allegations against O’Reilly, cared less about the female employees at Fox News and more about protecting a serial sexual abusers’ public image.
“21st Century Fox employees, executives, shareholders and advertisers should be outraged that Bill Shine has been allowed to spend millions covering up and paying off serial sexual predators. Fox News must immediately move forward with an independent and transparent investigation into sexual harassment at the network, make the results of the investigation public, and fire BIll Shine for his role in making sure that 21st Century Fox shareholders and advertisers paid to cover up and pay off sexual predators.”
Since August 2016, UltraViolet has called for Fox News to fire Bill O’Reilly and launch a full investigation into sexual harassment and abuse at the network.
- Earlier this week, UltraViolet released a new online video ad targeting members of the board of 21st Century Fox ahead of their board meeting Thursday to decide the fate of Bill O’Reilly. The video documents stories of women sexually-harassed by Bill O’Reilly.
- On Tuesday, April 18th, members of UltraViolet and survivors of sexual assault protested at Fox News’ HQ’s in New York City demanding the company fire Bill O’Reilly.
- In addition to the protest, UltraVIolet commissioned a plane to fly around Manhattan with a banner reading “FOX: #DROPOREILLY, THE SEXUAL PREDATOR.”
- Members of UltraViolet also placed posters around Fox New’s midtown HQ asking “Have you also been sexually harassed by Bill?” with the message to Fox News that it is time to #DropOReilly.
- Nearly 300 survivors of sexual assault signed onto an UltraViolet letter to 21st Century Fox CEO James Murdoch demanding accountability for sexual harassment and assault at Fox News urging Murdoch to fire Bill O’Reilly.
- Earlier this week, UltraViolet renewed online ads asking Fox News employees, “Have You Been Sexually Harassed by Bill?”
- In August 2016, following claims that Andrea Tantaros was sexually harassed by Bill O’Reilly, UltraViolet called for the O’Reilly Factor host to be immediately suspended, and a full investigation launched into sexual harassment and abuse at the news network.
- In January 2017, after the New York Times reported that Roger Ailes secretly settled sexual harassment claims against O’Reilly, UltraViolet demanded the network fire O’Reilly.
- UltraViolet launched and maintains an online ad campaign targeting Fox News employees with an ad reading: “Have You Been Harassed by Bill?”
- More than 79,000 UltraViolet members have signed onto a petition calling on 21st Century Fox to fire Fox News CEO Bill Shine and Fox News host Bill O’Reilly over their role in taking part in and covering up abuse at Fox News.
- More than 60,000 UltraViolet members have signed onto a petition calling on advertisers to the O’Reilly Factor and Fox News to cut ties with the network over the lack of accountability for sex crimes.
For more information, or for interview with UltraViolet, please contact Yasmina Dardari at 407-922-8149 or by email at yasmina@unbendablemedia.com.
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UltraViolet is an online community of over 1,00,000 women and men who take collective action to expose and fight sexism in the public sector, private sector and the media. Find out more at WeAreUltraViolet.org