NBC’s newest, and arguably most controversial host, Megyn Kelly has caused more problems for NBC than successes – and now there’s talk that she could be out!
Radio personality Mark Simone tweeted Monday:
Inside scoop: NBC now trying to get rid of Megyn Kelly. Even trying to get FOX to buy out her contract and take her back.
— MARK SIMONE (@MarkSimoneNY) June 19, 2017
It’s no surprise there would be talk of Kelly’s firing at the major network, since her “Sunday Night with Megyn Kelly” has been consistently beaten in ratings by reruns, with sponsors pulling their ads due to the controversial nature of her interviews.
Kelly reportedly went to NBC with a huge ego, jumping directly into controversial interviews with Russian President Vladimir Putin and conspiracy theorist Alex Jones.
She compared herself to broadcast legends, tell Variety “Barbara Walters has retired, Diane Sawyer left her anchor role. Oprah has moved to the OWN network and is doing a different thing now. So why not me?”
But there was a huge problem for her — she never gained loyalty from her new viewers, and no one tuned in.
One television executive told CNN: “[NBC executives] made a fundamental mistake about Megyn which is that they think she’s a superstar.”
And NBC bosses are recognizing their mistake, reportedly “freaking out” over her ratings meltdown.
“They didn’t pay her $15 million for this. They are now worried that her numbers will be bad when she joins the 9 am hour of Today,” a source told Radar Online.
“If Kelly tanks at 9 am show will also bring down Kathie Lee Gifford and Hoda Kotb at 10 am.”
That’s a serious risk for NBC.
CNN reported that the top execs are realizing already that “people are not tuning in to watch Megyn,” according to reports.
One executive at another network told CNN, “the degree of difficulty here is extremely high,” continuing to note if Kelly’s ratings remain a consistent flop, “she could end up fading into obscurity.”
But with the buzz already swirling that Kelly could be out, her Sunday night show could be the last we see of her reporting.
— The Horn editorial team