Created by Bill O'Reilly Running time 120 minutes Original release 2002 – 2009 Final episode date 2009 | Country of origin United States First episode date 2002 Program creator Bill O'Reilly | |
Cast Bill O'Reilly, Lis Wiehl, Michael Smerconish Similar The O'Reilly Factor, Killing Kennedy, Killing Lincoln, The Big Story, DaySide | ||
The Radio Factor is a US nationally syndicated talk radio program, which aired from 2002 to 2009 and was hosted mainly by Bill O'Reilly.
Show
The program, which featured host commentary with a mix of listener call-in and guest segments, was broadcast live every weekday from the Fox News Channel studios in New York City from 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. (total runtime approximately 120 minutes, less 34 for commercials) and was distributed by Westwood One in conjunction with Fox News Radio.
Bill O'Reilly was the host of the program from Monday through Thursday and was joined by co-host Lis Wiehl two days in the week. E.D. Hill was a former co-host as well. On Fridays, the show was usually hosted by a guest host; the most recent rotation included Michael Smerconish, Dom Giordano (Both from CBS Radio's Philadelphia Station, WPHT-AM) and Doug McIntyre (Tony Snow also was a regular substitute for this show until his 2008 death).
The show launched on May 8, 2002 on 205 stations, in 19 of the top 20 markets across the country; as of the end of 2008, his affiliate count was over 400. In addition to terrestrial radio, the show could be heard live on Fox News Talk, available on XM Satellite Radio and SIRIUS Satellite Radio, as well as simulcast over the Internet. February 26, 2009 was the last broadcast with Bill O'Reilly. A news story at the time reported O'Reilly as saying the workload for his radio and TV duties had become too much.
According to the September 2007 issue of Talkers Magazine, in terms of audience The Radio Factor was in the top twelve of nationally aired talk shows. It was the second-highest rated show in its time slot, behind only The Rush Limbaugh Show.
Fox pulled out of producing the program in January 2009 (though it continued to broadcast the show on tape delay), and Fred Thompson took over the show (now solely produced and distributed by Westwood One) on March 2, 2009; the show was renamed at that time to The Fred Thompson Show. The time slot was later held by Douglas Urbanski. Several radio networks responded quickly: Fox News Radio moved John Gibson to O'Reilly's old time slot, Dial Global announced it would offer a new national show hosted by Michael Smerconish in the slot, and Talk Radio Network announced it would "pre-feed" the previous day's The Savage Nation at the same time.
As a result of the merger of Dial Global and Westwood One, the show's current time slot is held by Michael Smerconish.