Not long ago, Fox News considered Bill O'Reilly so toxic that it canceled his top-rated show and booted him out of Fox News. But now, less than a year later, he has suddenly been popping up regularly on Sean Hannity's radio and TV show.

Media Matters' Matt Gertz noted that with his appearance on Hannity's radio show last week, it was the pair's fourth appearance together in less than three weeks. Gertz has a very credible explanation as to why these two have suddenly bonded:

The appearances with Hannity also give O’Reilly a sympathetic ear as he tries to rebuild his reputation by attacking the women who reported him for sexual harassment and blaming Media Matters -- “the most dangerous organization in America” -- for his firing.

Hannity wants his audience to hear that message as a warning that if they don’t support him amid an ongoing advertiser boycott, he will be forced out at Fox just like O’Reilly.

But, as CNN's Tom Kludt noted in a recent tweet, it wasn't long ago that Fox prohibited its talent from appearing with O'Reilly. Kludt was referring to the participation of Fox host Jesse Watters in O'Reilly's "The Spin Stops Here" tour:

Bill O'Reilly is becoming a Hannity regular, but wasn't long ago when Fox kept its talent from appearing w/ O'Reilly https://t.co/NZgK0IIx9J

— Tom Kludt (@TomKludt) October 5, 2017

Yes, there's a difference between O'Reilly appearing as a guest and a host co-starring in an O'Reilly show but the optics are the same. More importantly, the message sent to women is the same: that Fox is still willing to overlook sexual misconduct when it's expedient.

Fox is also overlooking the obvious FU from Hannity. Gertz wrote, "[Hannity's] message is the same one he’s been sending for the past few months, as he openly wars with the network that pays his checks: Fox needs him more than he needs the network.

Watch Hannity and O'Reilly discuss the NFL players' national anthem protests below, from O'Reilly's September 26, 2017 appearance on Hannity.