Inside Fox News, some employees also raised eyebrows about the interview before it occurred. "I question how serious Fox News considers the offenses for which he was fired if they are now giving him a platform to sell his book," a senior Fox News employee told CNN. "Talk about mixed messages." "This idea of not only bringing him back on our air but to be actively promoting [his book] is totally outrageous," echoed another employee. "What's the point [of firing him] if we're going to basically be welcoming him back with open arms?" One on-air personality who spoke with CNN referenced Fox News announcing on Tuesday that it had promoted several women as hosts. The person said O'Reilly's appearance served as a "net negative" that clouded the otherwise positive news. "On a day that should be about Fox celebrating female talent with Sandra Smith, Harris Faulkner and Dana Perino getting their own gigs, O'Reilly returning allows us to be talking about a period that is hopefully behind us," the person told CNN.