One of the most recognizable faces and names in the cable news biz is Fox News' headline-making Megyn Kelly, who has been steadily bolstering her career both on-screen and off for the past twelve years. But it sounds like Kelly is going to be making some of the biggest news of her life, as it appears she will be leaving behind her Fox News digs for other pastures both cable and broadcast at NBC News.
Nothing has officially been revealed by either Fox News or NBC News, but the New York Times reports Megyn Kelly was given a big offer that she's currently in negotiations to accept. NBC News chairman Andrew Lack reportedly set the deal up so that Kelly would serve as host of her own daytime news and discussion series, along with an anchor position for a Sunday night news show that goes in-depth with its stories. And of course, Kelly would also be a big part of NBC's political coverage, along with any other big events that would be highlighted by the network.
News of this magnitude doesn't come with complete surprise, though, since Megyn Kelly's contract with Fox News is reaching its current end date, which fueled the rumor mill to the point where she had to comment on it. But it is perhaps more shocking that Fox News didn't widen the opening of its pocketbooks to keep Kelly locked in, considering how popular she had become. Behind only Bill O'Reilly in terms of viewership, she was a big reason why the network was so strong in the ratings in 2016.
The amount of money that NBC News is offering Megyn Kelly is one piece of the puzzle that's still non-disclosed, but you can bet it's an impressive sum. She was reportedly seeking upwards of $20 million a year, which would be a $5 million increase per year. Although it's likely that money isn't the only factor playing into Kelly's decision for her future. The past year has been extremely hectic for her at Fox News, both concerning all that went on during the Presidential debates, in which Donald Trump repeatedly singled her out in his outbursts, and in the sexual harassment allegations that circled former head honcho Roger Ailes. NBC News had its own scandal with Brian Williams' faux reports, but that isn't something Kelly has to worry about.
As the conversations and paper-shuffling is supposedly going on behind closed doors, there's no telling how long we'll be waiting to see what happens next with Megyn Kelly's time at Fox News. But you can bet NBC is trying to speed it up, and that everyone in the cable news world is going to have something to say about it.
We'll keep you updated, of course, and you can head to our midseason premiere schedule in the meantime to see what else 2017 has to offer.
