Rise and fall of Bill O'Reilly

Today evening's talking point memo - the rise and fall of Bill O'Reilly. I just quoted the phrase used by America's top most rated Cable News anchor, Bill O'Reilly of the Right leaning Fox News.

Come 8 PM every week night from Monday to Friday, the highly popular news anchor would chime in on Fox News - "Welcome to the Factor. Caution ! You are going to enter the No Spin Zone." Then he would introduce his main subject or object of discussion or dissection, ending with "This is going to be today evening's talking point memo".

Now, O'Reilly is the talking point of media as he was shown the exit door by Fox after several accusations of sexual harassment from his colleagues. The first one surfaced more than a decade ago when a woman accused him of his "phone fetish" with her which he settled out of court for an undisclosed amount. The last one was by a young woman who has accused the popular Anchor of addressing her as "Hot Chocolate".

In between these accusations over a period of a little over a decade, Fox news who recently extended his multi year contract with O'Reilly with an annual salary of $20 million, is rumored to have spent $13 million on settling several lawsuits on behalf of its most popular Anchor who helped in making the Conservative news network the numero uno in America. It still enjoys more than the ratings of CNN and MSNBC combinee, leaving its competitor behind.

But there is always an end to the infamy, without a happy ending. Fox news finally pulled the plug from Bill O'Reilly, as 50 advertisers threatened to boycott the show and women in large numbers, both inside and outside the network baying for his blood. 

Bill O'Reilly made the cardinal mistake that many successful persons make - having a aura of being indispensable. Once is coincidence, twice is happening and thrice is deliberate. To err multiple times may be human, but forgive is not Company's policy, certainly not in Murdock's territory.

Can't end my blog without a mention of India's most popular Prime time TV Anchor Arnab Goswami who per my observation apes Bill OReilly - his style of presentation modelling his program after the former's "The Factor", emulating his domineering style with an Indian touch, interrupting his guests to their chagrin but to the amusement of the audience and so on. Both are controversial. 

But similarities between them ends there. Forget about any aspersions to his character, Arnab Goswami is free from any innuendoes. O'Reilly is far from it.