Nearly half of the respondents in a new poll think Fox News should cancel Bill O’Reilly’s prime-time show amid a sexual harassment scandal.
A Morning Consult poll found that 46 percent think the network should cancel “The O’Reilly Factor,” while just 22 percent think Fox News should keep the show on the air.
Among those who watch the show, 23 percent said they think it should be canceled, compared with 58 percent who said it should be kept on the network.
{mosads}The poll also found lower favorability ratings for O’Reilly. The Fox News host is viewed favorably by just 30 percent of Americans, down from 36 percent in a poll taken earlier this month.
His favorability rating among those who watch his show has fallen to 73 percent, down from 80 percent in the earlier poll.
The poll was conducted from April 13 to 15 among 2,201 adults. The margin of error is 2 percentage points.
Reports surfaced Tuesday that Fox News is planning to sever ties with O’Reilly.
The Wall Street Journal reported late Tuesday that sources close to the situation reported a final decision regarding “The O’Reilly Factor” could come in the next several days.
An earlier report from CNN said O’Reilly and the network have begun discussing his exit from Fox News.
The news of O’Reilly’s possible departure from the network comes after a report in The New York Times earlier this month that said he paid $13 million to five women who accused him of sexual harassment and improper conduct.
A lawyer for O’Reilly said earlier this week that he had been subject to a “smear campaign” by far-left groups.