Bill O'Reilly joined FOX News Channel as the anchor/host of "The O'Reilly Factor" in 1996. "The O'Reilly Factor" (8:00-9:00 PM ET Mondays through Fridays), the most-watched program on cable news, has caused the powerful in America to duck for cover as the rigidly enforced "No Spin Zone" deals with the nation's most important issues in a straightforward and provocative manner.

From humble beginnings on Long Island, New York, O'Reilly has risen to become the "new pope of TV journalism," according to Newsday television critic Marvin Kitman. In 2000, "The Factor" (as O'Reilly refers to it) passed "Larry King Live" to become the No. 1 cable news program in the United States. Both of O'Reilly's non-fiction books, "The O'Reilly Factor" and "The No Spin Zone," were No. 1 on The New York Times best seller list. His novel "Those Who Trespass" has been optioned for the screen by Mel Gibson's Icon Productions. In May 2002, O'Reilly began his syndicated radio show, "The Radio Factor with Bill O'Reilly." The largest debut of a talk show in radio history, it launched on more than 200 stations across the United States. The show is now heard on more than 250 stations and in the top 50 markets.

After receiving his master's degree in broadcast journalism from Boston University, O'Reilly began his television news career in Scranton, Pennsylvania, followed by stops in Dallas, Denver, Portland, Hartford and Boston. In 1980, he anchored his own program on WCBS-TV in New York and later became a CBS News correspondent covering the wars in El Salvador and the Falkland Islands, among other assignments.

In 1986, O'Reilly joined ABC News as a correspondent on "World News Tonight." During his three-year tenure, he appeared on the show more than 100 times, and received two Emmy Awards and two National Headliner Awards for excellence in reporting.

O'Reilly's career changed in 1989 when he joined the nationally syndicated show "Inside Edition" as senior correspondent and back-up anchor. Within three weeks, he took over the anchor chair from David Frost. During his six years at "Inside Edition," the show was one of the highest rated "infotainment" programs in America.

In 1995, O'Reilly left to enroll in the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, where he received a master's degree in public policy. Upon leaving Harvard, he was hired to anchor "The O'Reilly Factor" by Roger Ailes, chairman and chief executive officer of the then start-up FOX News Channel.

You can email Bill O'Reilly on The Pulse at pulse@foxnews.com