Bill O’Reilly Biography

Bill O’Reilly born William James O’Reilly Jr.  is an American journalist, author, political commentator, and former television host. In his early career, he reported for local television stations and later for big media houses such as CBS News and ABC News.

O’Reilly joined the Fox News Channel in 1996, going ahead to host his own show The O’Reilly Factor until 2017. The O’Reilly Factor was the highest-rated cable news show for 16 years and he was described  as “the biggest star in the 20-year history at Fox News” by Howard Kurtz, a media analyst at the time of his departure due to several sexual scandals involving him. He is the author of numerous books and hosted The Radio Factor (2002–2009).  Since his departure from Fox in 2017 due to the numerous sex scandals, he currently hosts the No Spin News podcast.

Bill O’Reilly Age

Bill O’Riley was born on September 10, 1949, at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital in Manhattan and is 69 years old in 2018.

Bill O’Reilly Family

O’Reilly’s father William James Sr. is of Irish descent, with a small degree of English ancestry. Some of his father’s ancestors lived in County Cavan, Ireland, since the early eighteenth century. His mother; Mrs.Winifred Angela (Drake) O’Reilly has ancestry from Northern Ireland. The parents resided in Brooklyn and Teaneck, New Jersey, respectively.   The family moved to Levittown, on Long Island upon the birth of their son. Bill has a younger sister called Janet O’ Reilly.

Bill O’Reilly Early Career

O’Reilly’s early television news career started as a reporter and anchor at  WNEP-TV in Scranton, Pennsylvania, doubling as a weatherman At WFAA-TV in Dallas. Due to his prowess in reporting; O’Reilly was awarded the Dallas Press Club Award for excellence in investigative reporting. He won a local Emmy Award for his coverage of a skyjacking when he moved to KMGH-TV in Denver. O’Reilly also worked for KATU in Portland, Oregon, from 1984 to 1985, WFSB in Hartford, Connecticut, as well as WNEV-TV.

O’Reilly anchored the local news-feature program at 7:30 Magazine at WCBS-TV in New York in 1980. Soon after, as a WCBS News anchor and correspondent, that led to his second local Emmy win by investigating and exposing city marshals who were corrupt.

In 1982, he became a CBS News correspondent and went ahead to report the wars in El Salvador on location, and in the Falkland Islands from his base in Buenos Aires, Argentina. In response to the military junta’s surrender, Bob Schieffer prepared a report where he used a footage of a riot , shot by O’Reilly’s crew in Buenos Aires shortly after the conclusion of the war without necessarily crediting Bill and his crew. This prompted Bill O’ Reilly to part ways with CBS citing lack of credit

O’Reilly joined ABC News as a correspondent in 1986. He had delivered a eulogy for Joe Spencer ;an ABC News correspondent who died in a helicopter crash on January 22, 1986,while on their way to covering the Hormel meatpacker strike who was also his friend. ABC News president Roone Arledge, who attended Spencer’s funeral, decided to hire O’Reilly after hearing the eulogy. At ABC, O’Reilly hosted daytime news briefs that previewed stories to be reported on the day’s World News Tonight and worked as a general assignment reporter for ABC News programs, including Good Morning America, Nightline, and World News Tonight.

Bill O’Reilly Inside Edition

O’Reilly joined the CBS Television Distribution media house as a host of the show Inside Edition In 1989. The show was a tabloid-gossip television program that was in competition with A Current Affair  which was an American television news magazine program that aired the same time as Inside Edition.  Bill became the program’s anchor in just three weeks, after David Frost’s contract with the show expired. In addition to being one of the first American broadcasters to cover the dismantling of the Berlin Wall, O’Reilly obtained the first exclusive interview with murderer Joel Steinberg and was the first television host from a national current affairs program on the scene of the 1992 Los Angeles riots.

O’Reily expressed a desire to quit the show in July 1994.In 1995, former NBC News and CBS News anchor Deborah Norville replaced O’Reilly on the show.

Bill O’Reilly Rant 

On May 12, 2008, a video surfaced on YouTube showing an angered O’Reilly ranting during his time at Inside Edition. The early 1990s video depicts O’Reilly yelling and cursing at his co-workers while having issues pre-recording the closing lines on his teleprompter, eventually yelling the phrase “Fuck it, we’ll do it live!” before continuing the closing segment to his show.The original video, titled “Bill O’Reilly Flips Out,” was removed, but another user reuploaded it the day after and retitled it “Bill O’Reilly Goes Nuts.”

Immediately after the video surfaced, O’Reilly acknowledged the video’s existence, claiming that he was amusing his co-workers and said “I have plenty of much newer stuff… If you want to buy the tapes that I have, I’m happy to sell them to you.” The rant has been parodied quite severally by Family Guy,  Trevor Noah on The Daily Show, Stephen Colbert on The Colbert Report, and was named one of Time’s “Top 10 Celebrity Meltdowns”.In 2009, a “dance remix” of O’Reilly’s rant was nominated a Webby Award for “Best Viral Video”

Bill O’Reilly The O’Reilly Factor 

O’Reilly was hired by Roger Ailes, chairman, and CEO of the then startup Fox News Channel, to anchor The O’Reilly Report In October 1996. The show was later renamed  The O’Reilly Factor and was routinely the highest-rated show of the three major U.S. 24-hour cable news television channels and began the trend toward more opinion-oriented prime-time cable news programming. The show was taped late in the afternoon at a studio in New York City and aired every weekday on the Fox News Channel at 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time and was rebroadcast at 11:00 p.m

Progressive media monitoring organizations such as Media Matters and Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting have criticized his reporting on a variety of issues, accusing him of distorting facts and using misleading or erroneous statistics. In 2008, citing numerous inaccuracies in his reporting, MediaMatters for America awarded him its first annual “Misinformer of the Year” award

Bill O’Reilly Pepsi

On one of his shows in the late August 27, 2002, O’Reilly called for all Americans to boycott Pepsi products, saying that lyrics of Ludacris who was then appearing in ads for Pepsi glamorized a “life of guns, violence, drugs, and disrespect of women.” The next day, O’Reilly reported that Pepsi had fired Ludacris. Three years later, Ludacris referenced O’Reilly in the song “Number One Spot” with the lyrics “Respected highly, hi, Mr. O’Reilly/Hope all is well, kiss the plaintiff and the wifey,” in reference to his sexual-harassment suit with Andrea Mackris while married. In an interview with RadarOnline.com in 2010, Ludacris later said that the two solved their indifferences.

Bill O’Reilly George Tiller Murder

On a couple of his shows in 2005, Bill periodically denounced a Kansas-based physician who specialized in second- and third-trimester abortions known as George Tiller. On his shows, Bill referred to him as “Tiller the baby killer”. Tiller was murdered on May 31, 2009, by Scott Roeder, an anti-abortion activist. Critics such as Salon‘s Gabriel Winant have asserted that his anti-Tiller rhetoric helped to create an atmosphere of violence around the doctor which led to his ultimate death. Jay Bookman of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution wrote that he “clearly went overboard in his condemnation and demonization of Tiller”, but added that it was “irresponsible to link O’Reilly” to Tiller’s murder. O’Reilly responded to the criticism by saying “no backpedaling here … every single thing we said about Tiller was true.

Bill O’Reilly Networth

Bill’s net worth is estimated to be between $85 million to $100 million. Making most of his income from his hefty salary as a news anchor as well as from the sales of his publications.

How Much Does Fox Pay Bill O’Reilly?

According to Forbes‘ 2017  list of the highest-paid TV hosts, O’Reilly earned a staggering $37 million between June 2016 and June 2017, good for sixth place on the list. That’s $1 million more than seventh-place Sean Hannity, who is a former colleague of O’Reilly’s

Has Bill O’Reilly Been Fired From Fox? |Bill O’Reilly Fox Departure

On April 19, 2017, Fox News announced that O’Reilly would not return to their primetime lineup amid public reporting on the tens of millions of dollars he paid to settle the sexual harassment claims of six women. The show hosted by Dana Perino continued rebranding as The Factor. Upon his departure, the financial markets responded positively to the decision by Fox News, and in just a day,its parent company 21st Century Fox rose over two percent in the stock market.

Bill O’Reilly George de Mohrenschildt claim

In his bestselling 2013 book Killing Kennedy and on Fox and Friends, O’Reilly claimed he was knocking at the front door of George de Mohrenschildt’s daughter’s home at the moment Mohrenschildt committed suicide and that he heard the shotgun blast:

In March of 1977, a young television reporter at WFAA in Dallas began looking into the Kennedy assassination. As part of his reporting, he sought an interview with the shadowy Russian professor who had befriended the Oswalds upon their arrival in Dallas in 1962. The reporter traced George de Mohrenschildt to Palm Beach, Florida and travelled there to confront him. At the time de Mohrenschildt had been called to testify before a congressional committee looking into the events of November 1963. As the reporter knocked on the door of de Mohrenschildt’s daughter’s home, he heard the shotgun blast that marked the suicide of the Russian, assuring that his relationship with Lee Harvey Oswald would never be fully understood. By the way, that reporter’s name is Bill O’Reilly.

This claim has however been disproven by former Washington Post editor Jefferson Morley, who cites audio recordings made by Gaeton Fonzi indicating O’Reilly was not present in Florida on the day of Mohrenschildt’s suicide and that he is fabricating lies.

Bill O’Reilly War coverage claims

In his book, The No Spin Zone, Bill wrote: “You know that I am not easily shocked. I’ve reported on the ground in active war zones from El Salvador to the Falklands.” On a 2004 column on his website he added: “Having survived a combat situation in Argentina during the Falklands war, I know that life-and-death decisions are made in a flash.

On February 19, 2015, David Corn from Mother Jones broke a story reporting a collection of inconsistencies of O’Reilly when recalling his experience covering the 1982 Falklands War. On April 17, 2013, O’Reilly said on his show: “I was in a situation one time, in a war zone in Argentina, in the Falklands, (…)”Corn claimed O’Reilly was not in the Falklands, but in Buenos Aires, and that no American journalist was in the Islands during the conflict.

He also pointed out that according to O’Reilly’s own book, The No Spin Zone, he arrived in Buenos Aires soon before the war ended. Bill refuted these claims and on February 20, 2015, O’Reilly said on his show, “David Corn, a liar, says that I exaggerated situations in the Falklands War” and that he never said he was on the Falkland Islands.

O’Reilly went on to describe his experience in a riot in Buenos Aires the day Argentina surrendered. David Corn replied that they didn’t claim O’Reilly “exaggerated” but rather that there were contradictions between his accounts and the factual record, and that the 2013 clip from his show proves O’Reilly did in fact say he was on the Falklands.

Bill O’Reilly Radio ventures

From 2002–2009, Bill hosted a radio program called The Radio Factor. The radio show had more than 3.26 million listeners and was carried by more than 400 radio stations. According to Talkers Magazine, he was No. 11 on the “Heavy Hundred”, a list of the 100 most important talk show hosts in America. He also received praise from conservative Internet news site NewsMax‘s “Top 25 Talk Radio Host” list selected him to the No. 2 spot as the most influential host in the US.

Bill O’Reilly Newspaper feature column  film appearances

O’Reilly also tried his hand at feature columns writing a weekly syndicated newspaper column through Creators Syndicate that appeared in numerous newspapers, including the New York Post and the Chicago Sun-Times. He discontinued the column at the end of 2013.

Bill O’Reilly Cameo

O’Reilly made cameo appearances in the films An American Carol, Iron Man 2, and Transformers: Dark of the Moon

Bill O’Reilly Post-Fox News career 

After his departure from Fox News, O’Reilly launched a podcast called No Spin News on April 24, 2017. In August 2017, O’Reilly began digitally streaming a video version of No Spin News.

In May 2017, Bill began to frequently appear as a guest on Friday editions of the ‘Glenn Beck Radio Program’. In June 2017, Bill and Dennis Miller co-headlined the public speaking tour, “The Spin Stops Here.” Bill made his first appearance on Fox News since his ouster on September 26, 2017, being interviewed by Sean Hannity.

Bill O’Reilly Relationships

O’Reilly met Ms. Maureen E. McPhilmy;a public relations executive in 1992 and went ahead to tie the knot with her. Their wedding took place on November 2, 1996, in St. Brigid Parish of Westbury, New York. O’Reilly and McPhilmy have a daughter born in 1998 called Madeline, and a son born in 2003 called Spencer.  The couple however separated on April 2, 2010, and we’re finalizing their divorce on September 1, 2011

Bill O’Reilly Daughter Domestic violence accusation 

In May 2015, court transcripts from O’Reilly’s custody trial with ex-wife Maureen McPhilmy revealed signs of domestic violence within the household. Madeline, O’Reilly’s daughter, testified to a forensic examiner that she witnessed O’Reilly choking McPhilmy and dragging her down the stairs of their home by her neck, apparently unaware that their daughter was watching.

Upon the surfacing of this allegation, O’Reilly issued a statement through his attorney describing the account as “100% false” and declined to comment further in order “to respect the court-mandated confidentiality put in place to protect [his] children”. In February 2016, O’Reilly lost a bid for custody of both of his children to his ex-wife Maureen McPhilmy.

Bill O’Reilly Books 

O’Reilly has authored and co-authored a number of books:

• O’Reilly, Bill (1998). Those Who Trespass. Bancroft Press. ISBN 0-9631246-8-4.
• O’Reilly, Bill (2000). The O’Reilly Factor: The Good, the Bad, and the Completely Ridiculous in American Life. Broadway Books. ISBN 0-7679-0528-8. (Reached No. 1 on the New York Times’ Non-Fiction Best Seller list.)^[163]
• O’Reilly, Bill (2001). The No Spin Zone. Broadway Books. ISBN 0-7679-0848-1. (Reached No. 1 on the New York Times’ Non-Fiction Best Seller list.)^[163]
• O’Reilly, Bill (2003). Who’s Looking Out For You?. Broadway Books. ISBN 0-7679-1379-5. (Reached No. 1 on the New York Times’ Non-Fiction Best Seller list.)^[163]
• O’Reilly, Bill; Charles Flowers (2004). The O’Reilly Factor For Kids: A Survival Guide for America’s Families. Harper Entertainment. ISBN 0-06-054424-4. (Best-selling nonfiction children’s book of 2005)^[164]
• O’Reilly, Bill (2006). Culture Warrior. Broadway Books. ISBN 0-7679-2092-9. (Reached No. 1 on the New York Times’ Non-Fiction Best Seller list;^[163] Achieved more than one million copies in print in its first three months)
• O’Reilly, Bill (2007). Kids Are Americans Too. William Morrow. ISBN 0-06-084676-3.
• O’Reilly, Bill (2008). A Bold Fresh Piece of Humanity: A Memoir. Broadway Books. ISBN 978-0-7679-2882-3.
• O’Reilly, Bill (2010). Pinheads and Patriots: Where You Stand in the Age of Obama. William Morrow. ISBN 0-06-195071-8.
• O’Reilly, Bill (2011). Factor Words: A Collection of the O’Reilly Factor Favorite “Words of the Day”. A Bill Me Inc. ISBN 978-1450789783.
• O’Reilly, Bill; Martin Dugard (2011). Killing Lincoln: The Shocking Assassination that Changed America Forever. Henry Holt and Co. ISBN 0-8050-9307-9.
• O’Reilly, Bill; Dwight Jon Zimmerman (2012). Lincoln’s Last Days: The Shocking Assassination that Changed America Forever. New York, NY: Henry Holt and Co. ISBN 978-0-8050-9675-
• O’Reilly, Bill; Martin Dugard (2012). Killing Kennedy: The End of Camelot. Henry Holt and Co. ISBN 978-0-8050-9666-8.
• O’Reilly, Bill (2013). Kennedy’s Last Days: The Assassination That Defined a Generation. Henry Holt and Co. ISBN 978-0-8050-9802-0.
• O’Reilly, Bill (2013). Keep It Pithy: Useful Observations in a Tough World. Crown Archetype. ISBN 978-0-385-34662-7.
• O’Reilly, Bill; Martin Dugard (2013). Killing Jesus: A History. Henry Holt and Co. ISBN 978-0-8050-9854-9.^[165]
• O’Reilly, Bill (2014). The Last Days of Jesus: His Life and Times. Henry Holt and Co. ISBN 978-0-8050-9877-8.
• O’Reilly, Bill; Martin Dugard (2014). Killing Patton: The Strange Death of World War II’s Most Audacious General. Henry Holt and Co. ISBN 978-0-8050-9668-2.^[166]
• O’Reilly, Bill; David Fisher (2015). Bill O’Reilly’s Legends and Lies: The Real West. Henry Holt and Co.
• O’Reilly, Bill (2015). Hitler’s Last Days: The Death of the Nazi Regime and the World’s Most Notorious Dictator. Henry Holt and Co. ISBN 978-1-62779-396-4.
• O’Reilly, Bill; Martin Dugard (2015). Killing Reagan: The Violent Assault That Changed a Presidency. Henry Holt and Co.^[167]
• O’Reilly, Bill (2016). The Day the President Was Shot. Henry Holt and Co. ISBN 978-1-62779-699-6.
• O’Reilly, Bill; Martin Dugard (2016). Killing the Rising Sun: How America Vanquished World War II Japan. Henry Holt and Co. ISBN 978-1-6277-9062-8.^[168]
• O’Reilly, Bill; James Patterson (2016). Give Please a Chance. Jimmy Patterson. ISBN 978-0316276887.^[169]
• O’Reilly, Bill; Bruce Feirstein (2017). Old School: Life in the Sane Lane. Henry Holt and Co. ISBN 978-1-2501-3579-7.^[170]
• O’Reilly, Bill; Martin Dugard (2017). Killing England: The Brutal Struggle for American Independence. Henry Holt and Co. ISBN 978-1-6277-9064-2.^[171]
• O’Reilly, Bill; Martin Dugard (2018). Killing the SS: The Hunt for the Worst War Criminals in History. Henry Holt and Co. ISBN 978-1-2501-6554-1.^[172]

Bill O’Reilly Twitter

“Killing the SS” is a book about evil… and boy, we’re dealing with evil in America today. pic.twitter.com/vDV7vc61lK

— Bill O’Reilly (@BillOReilly) October 3, 2018

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