Bill O'Reilly Reups With FOX for Four Years

Can't get enough of Bill O'Reilly? Well, the lightning rod of hate from the left has signed a new contract with FOX News for four more years at a reported sum of $10 million a year.

Paul J. Gough of The Hollywood Reporter writes today:

"Bill O'Reilly is the most prominent and influential name in all of cable news, and his contribution to the network's success cannot be overstated," FNC chairman and CEO Roger Ailes said. "After 12 years, 'The O'Reilly Factor' maintains remarkable and consistent viewership growth, and his firmly established itself as the top destination for newsmakers to reach a wide, diverse audience."

O'Reilly said he will continue because of Ailes and because Fox is a great place to work. He also took a shot at those in the mainstream media who don't like him much by saying: "And, if I retired, I know my friends in the elite media would miss me greatly."

The former ABC correspondent has found unprecedented success at Fox, where he joined in 1996. It has been the top-rated cable news program for 94 months, with an average viewership of 4 million a night.

Meanwhile, Fox News Channel has been locking up many of its key stars including O'Reilly, Sean Hannity (who re-signed recently) and anchor Shepard Smith, plus luring CNN Headline News host Glenn Beck to anchor a 5 p.m. program.