Retirement for O'Reilly? He'll have other options

O'Reilly, the top cable news personality for two decades until Fox News Channel fired him this week following harassment claims by women, would be a game-changer for any company trapped in Fox's shadow.

Another right-leaning outlet, One America News Network, has been inundated with emails from O'Reilly fans who want their hero back on television, said Robert Herring, Sr., the network's founder and CEO.

Fox, in 90 million homes, is the nation's most popular cable network, carried on most cable or satellite systems.

Fox also commands fees commensurate with its status, squeezing out rivals since many carriers believe they don't need more than one news network appealing to conservatives.

"Who needs women protesting out in front of your building?" said one media executive, who spoke under condition of anonymity since he was not authorized to speak on personnel matters.

The host essentially put Fox on the map, and has the opportunity to lead another media revolution with Newsmax's plans to establish itself as the go-to conservative stream for mobile devices, he said.

The media is cluttered with people who can't give up the stage; Larry King has stayed on the air with little-noticed networks long after he was dropped by CNN.

For the past few years, O'Reilly and co-author Martin Dugard have collaborated on their highly successful "Killing" series, nonfiction works about the deaths of historical figures ranging from Jesus to John F. Kennedy.