By now, most Americans are aware of the ongoing saga surrounding former Fox News host Bill O’Reilly. After separating from the network following multiple allegations of sexual harassment, O’Reilly is fighting back, claiming that he is innocent of all accusations.
In addition to his professional problems, O’Reilly has been engaged in a vicious legal battle with his ex-wife and attorney over their divorce records.
With all of the bad news facing O’Reilly, the former top cable news host has finally received some positive news, in the form of a job offer from his former colleague, TheBlaze founder Glenn Beck.
Glenn Beck offers Bill O’Reilly a job at TheBlaze https://t.co/4AgIG1KOeN pic.twitter.com/csV71OksnQ
— HuffPost Politics (@HuffPostPol) May 15, 2017
From The Washington Post:
Glenn Beck offered Bill O’Reilly a job during a radio interview on Friday, O’Reilly’s first media appearance (besides his own podcasts) since Fox News fired him last month. Beck, who left Fox News in 2011 and threw himself into TheBlaze website and cable channel, said that he and O’Reilly “could unite our powers for good.”
This was their exchange, which began with O’Reilly expressing his admiration of Beck’s entrepreneurship:
O’REILLY: Beck doesn’t work for anybody but himself, and he was smart to do that. Because the left now can’t get Beck because Beck controls his own destiny, unlike me. I had to deal with a whole bunch of other things when they came after me, and people should know that you can say and do what you want to do because you control — Glenn Beck controls his own destiny, which is very different from most other people in the media.
BECK: Well, I thank you for that, Bill, and I would like to say publicly, honestly — and I know you’re not going to get into this, so just shut the fat trap — it’s why I would like you to work for TheBlaze. Because I could not get the cable coverage by myself because I’m not powerful enough, unless you have a giant corporation behind you. And when you have that, then you’re beholden to somebody. But if we could unite our powers for good, as opposed to evil — but that’s another conversation.
Beck joked about paying O’Reilly “in sandwiches,” but he seemed quite serious about teaming up. His remark about being unable to get sufficient “cable coverage by myself” is not just idle chatter. While some major cable providers such as Verizon and Dish Network carry TheBlaze, others like Comcast and DirecTV do not.
Beck and O’Reilly were colleagues on Fox News for 3 years, and even after he left the network Beck would frequently appear on The O’Reilly Factor to discuss a variety of issues. The two news giants clearly have a good relationship, and Glenn Beck’s TheBlaze has a sizable audience that would respond well to O’Reilly’s conservative views.
Unfortunately for Beck, O’Reilly made $18 million at Fox News, a price tag that likely far exceeds anything TheBlaze founder could ever afford. While Beck’s job offer may have been a joke, it does make you wonder if the two men could team up to form a new cable or alternative news network that is separate from Fox News.
O’Reilly and Beck each have a massive following, and could easily garner a large audience if they ever teamed up, but that may be wishful thinking for conservatives.
What are your thoughts on Glenn Beck offering Bill O’Reilly a job? Should he accept? Share your thoughts below!