Bill O'Reilly offers cryptic hint about return to television

Since being fired from the Fox News Channel earlier in April, speculation has run wild over what former Fox News star Bill O’Reilly would do next. On Thursday, O’Reilly dropped a hint that he may be returning to television sooner than many expected.

In a podcast airing on Billoreilly.com on Monday, O’Reilly said his plan going forward is to air progressively longer podcasts on Billoreilly.com that will eventually become a full news program. On Thursday, in a podcast titled “O’Reilly Lays out Plans for the Future in Last Free Podcast,” O’Reilly said his website will launch a video news program and “maybe go into some other networks as well.”

“So, I hope you consider it and sign up because we will be here Monday through Thursday with our audio broadcast, and we are working on making it a video display,” O’Reilly said.

“We’re going to expand the concept on BillOReilly.com, and maybe go into some other networks as well,” O’Reilly said.

O’Reilly reiterated his plan to expand what he’s calling the “No Spin News” later in his podcast as well.

“We really appreciate you guys hanging with us the first week on the ‘No Spin News,’ it’s very nice of you to do that,” said O’Reilly. “We think we provide a unique perspective on the news, by the way, and as I said in the beginning of this broadcast, we’re going to expand it. So, we’re going to expand it.”

“A lot of people interested, I’m taking my time,” O’Reilly said. “There’s a lot of things that I have to clear up, as I mentioned on Monday when I first came on the air. There’s a lot of things in play, and you’ll know what the deal is.”

On Friday, media industry website Mediaite reported “conservative fat cats” are considering the formation of a new conservative media outlet.

According to Mediaite’s report, the pace of the “serious discussions” has been picking up in the wake of rumors suggesting additional changes are in store at Fox News. A source reportedly told Mediaite that “two prominent high-powered television executives, some underperforming conservative networks and people who have an interest and the ability to fund a new network” are met Friday to discuss creating a rival to Fox News.

The group is concerned that Fox News is moving too far left and that an alternative to the conservative media powerhouse would be well received by audiences angry with the television network’s new direction.