Megyn Kelly, the controversial primetime anchor for Fox News, will join NBC News in a new role, according to sources with CNNMoney. Howie Kurtz, Fox News “Media Buzz” anchor is reporting Kelly has said she will host a weekday news format show, and a Sunday evening show on NBC.
There had been rumors that along with her ratings drop in October and November, Kelly would be leaving Fox News. When Megyn Kelly took a position against Donald Trump early in the primaries in 2015, MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow beat Megyn Kelly twice in the 25-54 demographic and in overall ratings. The 25-54 demographic is the most coveted group by advertisers.
In October 2016, CNN averaged 704,000 prime time viewers overall from the ages 25-54 demographic, Fox came in second with an average of 663,000 viewers, while MSNBC averaged 432,000 viewers
Over a dozen years ago I started at Fox News in a job that would change my life. Now, I have decided to end my time at FNC, incredibly enriched for the experiences I’ve had. I have agreed to join NBC News, where I will be launching a new daytime show Monday through Friday, along with a Sunday evening news magazine program. I will also participate in NBC’s breaking news coverage and its political and special events coverage.
While I will greatly miss my colleagues at Fox, I am delighted to be joining the NBC News family and taking on a new challenge. I remain deeply grateful to Fox News, to Rupert, Lachlan and James Murdoch, and especially to all of the FNC viewers, who have taught me so much about what really matters. More to come soon.
Happy New Year, and God bless.
— Megyn Kelly
Most of the comments reacting to her Facebook post were negative, and along the lines of “good riddance” with many people saying they’re relieved they won’t have to change the channel away from Fox News when The Kelly File is broadcast.
Kelly lost a lot of Fox News fans when she focused on Donald Trump’s personality instead of major issues facing the United States, such as affordable health care, immigration and security, the Syrian conflict.
Critics have panned her for running a show that is always about herself, no matter what she is reporting. Critics on the official Facebook page for Fox News also criticized her “unprofessional attire” — wearing cocktail dress more appropriate for a night club, not an anchor desk.
CNN is calling the move a major coup for NBC, and a major blow to Fox News.
In the last 18 months, Kelly has become one of the most famous and coveted talents in the television news industry, and her show was the second-most watched news program on cable. Her departure will leave a hole in the middle of Fox’s primetime schedule.
— CNN
In May shortly after Kelly’s prime-time special experiment on Fox Prime-Time, Vanity Fair called her prime-time magazine style format a miscalculation.
During an approximately half-hour with Donald Trump in May, she didn’t ask any policy questions. She asked about his divorces and the death of his brother. Had anything in his life hurt him, emotionally? What is his favorite movie?
Kelly also interviewed Laverne Cox, O.J. Simpson attorney Robert Shapiro, and actor Michael Douglas. Kelly closed the special with a plug for her forthcoming book, and the plugs continued on Fox News well into holiday shopping season.
Vanity Fair’s Emily Jane Fox dscribed Kelly’s move as a career miscalculation because cable news stars are cable news stars for a reason. Cable news starts appeal to a specific niche of people, she said. The audience is looking for counter-programming, and rarely does that translate to a broader mainstream audience.
See also …
Vanity Fair MEGYN KELLY’S FIRST PRIME-TIME SPECIAL WAS A FUNDAMENTAL MISCALCULATION
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