Bill O’Reilly has been missing from television for three years.
Monday, he announced that he’s coming back to primetime.
The former Fox News star is making a surprise return to the airwaves on a conservative digital network called The First, according to Axios.
He will be taking his No Spin News program –– previously aired on both his personal website and YouTube –– to his new network where he’s slated to appear weeknights at 8 p.m ET.
And O’Reilly is promising his millions of listeners a news show completely without corporate ties.
“The success of BillOReilly.com with millions of users will now accelerate with our partnership,” O’Reilly said in a statement. “The First will create and distribute honest, corporate-free news and commentary which is desperately needed in America.”
.@BillOReilly has a new TV home! Catch him every weeknight on The First! Here are all the ways to watch 👉 https://t.co/UiQQOO06GM pic.twitter.com/jT2sgSDDZj
— The First (@TheFirstonTV) June 1, 2020
The move underscores President Donald Trump’s call to shift eyes from Fox News to a new network after rifts have occurred between the President and his once preferred network.
Could O’Reilly’s jump to The First be the big name it takes to draw permanent attention to a Fox News alternative?
O’Reilly’s move also underlines a quiet formation of conservative talent on emerging television networks, joining The First alongside conservative pundit and former NRA spokeswoman Dana Loesch.
Alternative conservative networks such as One America News Network, Sinclair Broadcast Group, and Newsmax have bolstered the representation of conservative political talk since Trump’s administration –– and O’Reilly’s name could serve as an example to other right-leaning voices wanting to break ties with corporate networks.
According to Deadline, The First airs content on free streaming services PlutoTV, DistroTV, and YouTube.
The Horn editorial team