Advertisers Pull ads From "The O'Reilly Factor" Amid Sexual Harassment Allegations
Three advertisers pulled their commercials from the hit Fox News show The O'Reilly Factor on Monday after several women claimed they were sexually harassed by the show's host, Bill O'Reilly.
"We had advertising running on The O'Reilly Factor (we run on most major cable news shows) but it has been reassigned in the midst of this controversy," a Mercedes-Benz spokesperson told BuzzFeed News. "The allegations are disturbing and, given the importance of women in every aspect of our business, we don't feel this is a good environment in which to advertise our products right now."
Hyundai later followed suit, telling BuzzFeed News in a statement that the automaker "currently has no advertising running on The O’Reilly Factor. We had upcoming advertising spots on the show but are reallocating them due to the recent and disturbing allegations. As a company we seek to partner with companies and programming that share our values of inclusion and diversity. We will continue to monitor and evaluate the situation as we plan future advertising decisions."
On Tuesday, a BMW of North America spokesperson told BuzzFeed News that it in light of the recent allegations, it has suspended its advertising with The O'Reilly Factor.
On Saturday, the New York Times reported that five women received $13 million to settle sexual harassment allegations against the 67-year-old host. O'Reilly denies the claims have any merit.
Radio host Wendy Walsh said Monday that O'Reilly had promised to make her a network contributor after numerous guest appearances on The O'Reilly Factor in 2013. O'Reilly "got very hostile, very quickly," she said, when she declined his invitation to his hotel room following a dinner at the Bel Air hotel.
BuzzFeed News reached out to about 50 companies or organizations whose advertisements appear on O'Reilly's show. Most didn't immediately return a request for comment. A few seemed to be walking a tightrope on whether or not to redirect their advertising dollars — O'Reilly's show is one of the most viewed on cable television.
Trivago, a travel website that also advertises during the Fox News show, told BuzzFeed News it is "constantly reviewing our media buys to ensure we do not support any behavior that contradicts Trivago's corporate values. We are currently reviewing the information available." A spokesperson said the company would not further discuss media strategy publicly.
Zulily, an online retailer, told BuzzFeed News it places advertisements with networks "based on audience demographics, not on specific programs."
Weight loss and nutrition company Jenny Craig told BuzzFeed News it condemns all forms of sexual assault, but refused to publicly comment on its advertising strategy.
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Three advertisers pulled their commercials from the hit Fox News show The O'Reilly Factor on Monday after several women claimed they were sexually harassed by the show's host, Bill O'Reilly.
"We had advertising running on The O'Reilly Factor (we run on most major cable news shows) but it has been reassigned in the midst of this controversy," a Mercedes-Benz spokesperson told BuzzFeed News. "The allegations are disturbing and, given the importance of women in every aspect of our business, we don't feel this is a good environment in which to advertise our products right now."
Hyundai later followed suit, telling BuzzFeed News in a statement that the automaker "currently has no advertising running on The O’Reilly Factor. We had upcoming advertising spots on the show but are reallocating them due to the recent and disturbing allegations. As a company we seek to partner with companies and programming that share our values of inclusion and diversity. We will continue to monitor and evaluate the situation as we plan future advertising decisions."
On Tuesday, a BMW of North America spokesperson told BuzzFeed News that it in light of the recent allegations, it has suspended its advertising with The O'Reilly Factor.
On Saturday, the New York Times reported that five women received $13 million to settle sexual harassment allegations against the 67-year-old host. O'Reilly denies the claims have any merit.
Radio host Wendy Walsh said Monday that O'Reilly had promised to make her a network contributor after numerous guest appearances on The O'Reilly Factor in 2013. O'Reilly "got very hostile, very quickly," she said, when she declined his invitation to his hotel room following a dinner at the Bel Air hotel.
BuzzFeed News reached out to about 50 companies or organizations whose advertisements appear on O'Reilly's show. Most didn't immediately return a request for comment. A few seemed to be walking a tightrope on whether or not to redirect their advertising dollars — O'Reilly's show is one of the most viewed on cable television.
Trivago, a travel website that also advertises during the Fox News show, told BuzzFeed News it is "constantly reviewing our media buys to ensure we do not support any behavior that contradicts Trivago's corporate values. We are currently reviewing the information available." A spokesperson said the company would not further discuss media strategy publicly.
Zulily, an online retailer, told BuzzFeed News it places advertisements with networks "based on audience demographics, not on specific programs."
Weight loss and nutrition company Jenny Craig told BuzzFeed News it condemns all forms of sexual assault, but refused to publicly comment on its advertising strategy.
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