Al Franken has dropped the "O" and "Factor" from the name of his radio talk show.

The author and political satirist said in a statement Monday that the name of his show on the liberal Air America radio network is changing from "The O'Franken Factor" to "The Al Franken Show."

"The O'Franken Factor" was an obvious jab at the name of Bill O'Reilly's show "The O'Reilly Factor," which airs on cable television's Fox News Channel.

"No matter how hard we tried, Bill O'Reilly wouldn't sue us," Franken said in the statement. "Since that was the whole point of the name."

Franken was sued by Fox News Channel last year prior to the release of his book "Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them: A Fair and Balanced Look at the Right," arguing it had trademarked the phrase "fair and balanced" in 1998.

On Aug. 25, a New York judge said Fox's claims were was "wholly without merit, both factually and legally." The network dropped the suit two days later.

Franken relentlessly mocked O'Reilly in the statement about the name change, saying, "We have no longer linked our fate with the declining fortunes of Bill O'Reilly. We will not be dragged down with him."

He said that show has not given up making fun of O'Reilly and reserves the right to change the name back to "The O'Franken Factor."

Franken said other names for the show were considered, such as "The O'Limbaugh Factor" and "The O'President Bush Factor," but "somehow they didn't have quite the same ring to them."

The network launched in five cities March 31, featuring shows hosted by the likes of actress Janeane Garofalo, rapper Chuck D and Lizz Winstead, the co-creator of Comedy Central's "The Daily Show."

Franken said in the first broadcast that the show will be driven by satire, because "satire is protected speech in America -- even if the intended target doesn't get it."

He also said the show would "relentlessly" hammer on President George W. Bush, saying the Bush adminstration will "go down" in November.