Why is Megyn Kelly leaving Fox for NBC? Better Role and Higher Pay Among Possible Reasons
Megyn Kelly, a long-serving star anchor for Fox News, is leaving to take up a multi-part role with NBC.
Megyn Kelly, a popular broadcast journalist and TV news anchor for Fox News, announced that she will be leaving the channel where she has spent 12 years of her career for a role with NBC.
As part of her multi-year agreement with NBC, Megyn Kelly will host her own one-hour daytime program on the weekdays along with an in-depth Sunday evening news magazine show. She will also be a regular contributor to NBC News' special events coverage.
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"Megyn is an exceptional journalist and news anchor, who has had an extraordinary career," NBC News chairman Andy Lack said in a statement. "She's demonstrated tremendous skill and poise, and we're lucky to have her."
Due to the immense popularity of her show 'The Kelly File', Fox News' parent company, 21st Century Fox, was prepared to pay her a salary of more than $20 million a year to remain with the network, the Wall Street Journal reported last year.
Her contract with Fox was due to expire in summer this year which had set-off a bidding war amongst news channels for her services. She ultimately chose NBC News as her next destination and posted a statement on Facebook bidding farewell to Fox and expressing her delight at joining NBC.
"Over a dozen years ago I started at Fox News in a job that would change my life," Kelly wrote. "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 surprised the world by taking up a stand against Donald Trump as a Fox News anchor when the channel has always been lambasted for pushing conservative-biased news to its viewers. But her program continued to fare well in ratings and her departure leaves Fox with no prime time female anchors. The network also faces the daunting task of having to cover a new administration without one of their most prolific anchors.
Ms. Kelly was also among the women employed by Fox who alleged sexual harassment and intimidation by Roger Ailes, the network's co-founder and former chairman. Whether problems at Fox News are what prompted her to take leave remains unclear.
However, Rupert Murdoch, an executive chairman of 21st Century Fox, is all praise and support for Ms. Kelly after the announcement of her exit.
"We thank Megyn Kelly for her 12 years of contributions to FOX News. We hope she enjoys tremendous success in her career and wish her and her family all the best," Murdoch said in a statement, reported the New York Times.
Ms. Kelly addressed her own news at the end of Tuesday night's edition of 'The Kelly File'. She acknowledged the difficulty in making the decision and thanked the Murdochs and the channel's viewers. She also said that her desire to spend more time with her children played a role in making the call. Her last show for Fox News is on Friday.
