Difference between Colbert Report on Comedy Central and O'Reilly Factor on Fox Network
The O'Reilly Factor is hosted by the famous commentator Bill O'Reilly, which is a regular American talk show on the Fox News Channel. The program invites guests and discusses about present contentious social and political issues. The birth of the Fox Network also gave way to the first airing of the show. Originally called the O'Reilly Report, the name was changed to The O'Reilly Factor after O'Reilly's friend John Tantillo suggested the name to be revised. The Colbert Report on the other hand is the counterpart of The Daily Show. It is a late night TV program which can be viewed on Comedy Central from Mondays through Thursdays. The show is hosted by the political humorist Stephen Colbert and the program mocks political programs, especially The O'Reilly Factor.
Format
The O'Reilly Factor is a pre-recorded program, wherein the producers and the host discuss their possible topics two times a week. Some of the guests in the program are pre-interviewed before they tape the show, and sometimes these interviews are included in the program as well. The show usually is shot every 5pm or 7pm EST, and is aired during weekdays three times (8pm, 11pm, and 5am EST). When the show features breaking news and special events, they go live. On the other hand, The Colbert Report is also a pre-recorded program and is shot at their studio in 54th Street, New York. They call their studio the eagle's nest.
Segments
The O'Reilly Factor has different segments which are divided in the show. Though not all of the segments appear in one show, some of the following segments compose the program: Talking Points Memo - this is O'Reilly's views on the current condition or happening of the country, Top Story - which highlights the most compelling stories of the day, and the Factor Mail - where he reads parts of emails that are sent to him. The Colbert Report on the other hand has the segment The Word which is a parody of the O'Reilly factor's Talking Points Memo. Also, the program has a similar segment that of O'Reilly Factor's Factor Mail, which is the Inbox.
Audience
For more than 9 years, The O'Reilly factor has been the number one cable news program. It is associated with the right wing thinking of the American political system. The Fox News Channel has the top 10 programs in cable news, along with The O'Reilly Factor. The show has an average of 3 million viewers, which became more popular following Fox News Channel's dispute with the White House.
Per episode, The Colbert Report has an average of over 1.2 million viewers. Aside from that, because of the show's popularity on TV, it has become a phenomenon over the web and has received a lot of awards. Politically, this Comedy Central show leans to the left aka liberal aka democratic side of the spectrum.
Similarities and Differences
- Both The O'Reilly Factor and The Colbert Report are pre-recorded programs which tackle about the politics and social events in the US.
- Both The O'Reilly Factor and The Colbert Report have numerous segments, the latter parodying the former's segments.
- Both The O'Reilly Factor and The Colbert Report have more than a million viewers and are aired at the same times.
- The Colbert Report would be the more interesting and enjoyable show to watch because of its lightness when it comes to topic discussions and the awards it received.
