(2006-01-18) TMR Multimedia/Margaret Kessler
A Florida marketing exectutive says Bill O’Reilly and the Fox News Channel stole his idea for their ‘Great Factor Debate Contest’ which the executive says he created and pitched to Fox in 2004. The original program was called the ‘Great American Talkoff’.
HALLANDALE BEACH, FL (January 18) When Fox News personality Bill O’Reilly put out a challenge to his viewers to debate him on any topic of their choosing, he never expected that the biggest debate would center around whether he plagiarized the idea for his ‘Great Factor Debate Contest’ from a Florida-based marketing executive.
Jay Schorr, president of TMR Multimedia in Hallandale Beach, Florida says O’Reilly and the Fox News Channel stole his idea for the debate which Schorr says he created and pitched to Fox in 2004. Schorr called his program the ‘Great American Talkoff’.
“I spoke with Fox executives on numerous occasions about the Great American Talkoff and O’Reilly’s participation therein and they repeatedly expressed interest,” Schorr said. “What I didn’t know was that they were interested in ripping me off.”
Schorr, whose company created the jingle for Kmart’s successful Fall ‘05 advertising campaign, I Found Love At A Kmart Store sung by country star Darryl Worley, says he’s going to pursue every legal recourse available to him in prosecuting O’Reilly and Fox.
“Mr. O’Reilly holds himself out as a paragon of virtue and makes a big deal about his show’s ‘no spin zone’ in which guests are not allowed to spin any b.s. on matters at-hand,” said Schorr. “Apparently Mr. O’Reilly chose to leave the zone when he plagiarized my program and will continue to try to spin the facts as this case progresses.”
Schorr says he has no intention of settling out of court with O’Reilly as did a former Factor producer who sued O’Reilly in October 2004 for sexual harassment.
Schorr garnered national publicity for his Great American Talkoff program in 2004, appearing on numerous radio talk shows, as well as in print and online publications.
For more information on Jay Schorr’s action against Bill O’Reilly and FNC, contact Margaret Kessler at TMR Multimedia at 954-456-8398.
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CONTACT
Margaret Kessler
TMR Multimedia
954-456-8398