Keller @ Large: Bill O'Reilly Reports Have Companies Talking About 'Values'
BOSTON (CBS) - Hardly a day goes by without hearing someone reference their values, whether its politicians talking about themselves or their party, or a business claiming values as part of their brand.
A lot of it is loose talk.
But right now, some of the biggest brand names in the business world are confronting a put-your-money-where-your-mouth is moment with regard to their values.
The man of the moment is Bill O'Reilly, the popular Fox News talk-show host, who appears to be something of an electromagnet for sexual harassment claims. The New York Times reports Fox has paid out about $13 million in settlements to five women who accused O'Reilly of inappropriate behavior or sexual harassment.
O'Reilly claims his high profile has made him a target of gold diggers and Fox haters. Stuff like that does happen; however, $13 million seems like an awful lot of dough just to make nuisance suits go away.
The whole mess has now prompted a growing list of advertisers to pull their spots from O'Reilly's show.
A spokeswomen for the British pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline says they bailed to make sure their ads were conducted in a "manner aligned with our values."
There's that word again, values.
Are these values that say sexual harassment is an offense they won't be associated with, however indirectly?
Is it the broader issue of respect for women they value?
Or is it the profit margins that might be adversely affected by this scandal?
Speaking of profit, Bill O'Reilly makes a lot of money for his employer.
Maybe we're about to get some real insight into what Fox News's values really are.
Listen to Jon's commentary: