Fox's O'Reilly and Rivera rip Murdoch over Simpson

By Stone Martindale Nov 19, 2006, 0:46 GMT

Breaking ranks with management, Bill O'Reilly and Geraldo Rivera have spoken out harshly against the planned Fox's two-part special hyping O.J. Simpson's "If I Did It" book currently scheduled for release end of November.

O'Reilly minces no words and vows to boycott any company that advertises on Fox's televised interview.  O'Reilly declared: "If every American walked away from the O.J. garbage, it wouldn't happen."

"I'm not going to watch the Simpson show or even look at the book," he added. "If any company sponsors the TV program, I will not buy anything that company sells - ever."

Geraldo Rivera, another Fox News star, agreed and called the book "appalling."

"I will bash this project every minute I have the opportunity to bash this project," Rivera said.

Simpson's book is being released Nov. 30th by ReganBooks, which is named after its head, Judith Regan, and is an imprint in Murdoch's News Corp., which also owns Fox broadcasting.

Murdoch has not replied or commented on the maelstrom of fury from viewers and his employees alike.

"I can't reach him today," Murdoch's spokesman, Howard Rubenstein, said. "I would have no comment for him." Reported the New York Daily News.

They also report "a HarperCollins insider called that fair-and-balanced baloney and pointed out that Murdoch should have known what kind of gory garbage Regan was trying to foist on the public."

The unnamed insider tells New York Daily News: "Rupert's bottom line is making money."

Advertisers were reported to be avoiding the ad tie in for the scheduled airing Nov. 27 and 29 on Fox Broadcasting. Fox affiliates across the country told the network they would not carry the special.

Regan has played the innocent and crafty confession extractor in the whole mess, claiming she was a bwettered woman and just wanted the opportunity to get the truth from O.J.  She denied paying him money directly.

"It's just amazing that she's trying to spin this as her revenge against her own abusers," the HarperCollins unnamedinsider said to the New York Daily News.