Thursday, December 12, 2024

Megyn Kelly Jumps from Fox News to NBC for Many Duties: Including Taking on “The View” at 11AM?

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Big media news this morning as Megyn Kelly, who had three feet out the door of Fox News anyway, is jumping to NBC. She’s leaving the House of Jackals for a real network, probably for less money but for the prestige of the Peacock, of Tom Brokaw, and a real news division.

One of Kelly’s jobs will be a daily talk show, which means that NBC News prez Andy Lack sees her as jump starting a rival to “The View” at 11am. That’s where “Access Hollywood Live,” a show that once featured Billy Bush, is seen now. But “AHL” could be sent into syndication, or closed down, or moved to the afternoon. (The noon hour is given back to local stations, and “Days of our Lives” is seen at 1pm.)

“The View” ratings have been in decline, and the hosts are almost always in some flux. The show has been whittled down to Whoopi Goldberg and Joy Behar, and its unclear if they want to stay another season or have the energy to ‘relaunch’ one more time hoping to regain their former glory.

Kelly would be perfect for an NBC “View” and there’s plenty of “Today” show personnel to draw from including Hoda Kotb, Kathie Lee Gifford, Natalie Morales (farmed out to “AHL”). Plus Katie Couric’s having a great return to the “Today” show this week. So who knows?

One thing’s for sure: Kelly is being paid less than Lester Holt, who anchors the nightly news, and Matt Lauer, who just re-signed for the Today show. And even though some reports say the Murdochs wanted her to stay at Fox, Kelly was gone– everyone there dislikes her, and she’s burned a lot of bridges. But who cares? She’s where all TV journalists want to be — at one of the Big Three. Ask Major Garrett, who went from Fox to CBS, or anyone else who’s escaped. You feel like the von Trapps when they get to the top of the mountain.

Roger Friedman
Roger Friedmanhttps://www.showbiz411.com
Roger Friedman began his Showbiz411 column in April 2009 after 10 years with Fox News, where he created the Fox411 column. His movie reviews are carried by Rotten Tomatoes, and he is a member of both the movie and TV branches of the Critics Choice Awards. His articles have appeared in dozens of publications over the years including New York Magazine, where he wrote the Intelligencer column in the mid 90s and covered the OJ Simpson trial, and Fox News (when it wasn't so crazy) where he covered Michael Jackson. He is also the writer and co-producer of "Only the Strong Survive," a selection of the Cannes, Sundance, and Telluride Film festivals, directed by DA Pennebaker and Chris Hegedus.

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