Bill O’Reilly And Megyn Kelly Help Fox News Win 2nd-Quarter Ratings Race


Bill O’Reilly, Megyn Kelly, and others at Fox News dealt with several controversial topics during the 2nd quarter of 2015, and their viewership definitely responded. Variety has the cable news ratings results.

“Fox News remained the overwhelming primetime choice for cable news viewers during a busy second quarter of this year, and both it and a more competitive CNN were up double-digits in the key news demo vs. last year — pushing MSNBC farther down the ratings totem pole.”

Variety notes that among individual programs for the quarter, Fox News claims the top six in adults 25-54. Bill O’Reilly’s The O’Reilly Factor leads with an average of 423,000 viewers, and Megyn Kelly’s The Kelly File leads with an average of 423,000 viewers. When averaging total viewers in all age groups, Bill O’Reilly leads with an average of 2.456 million viewers, with Megyn Kelly averaging 2.1 million viewers.

Leading the ratings always comes with a price — both O’Reilly and Megyn Kelly have been the subject of vicious vitriol from people who oppose their (perceived) beliefs. O’Reilly has dealt with the most backlash. On May 20, Gawker claimed they obtained partial transcripts from O’Reilly’s custody battle with his ex-wife Maureen McPhilmy. The documents allegedly revealed that O’Reilly’s daughter claimed he physically abused his wife. However, Bill O’Reilly adamantly denied any type of physical abuse.

Megyn Kelly wasn’t criticized for anything she might have done in her personal life, but her interview with Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar brought out the vitriol in some. The Wrap quoted one concerning critic, Eric Deggans.

“It seemed to be pretty much about helping the Duggars salvage their brand rather than getting to the bottom of what happened in this family. She wasn’t particularly incisive and she didn’t push the Duggars on issues that I think are at the heart of this — why they waited so long to go to law enforcement, why they took all these unofficial avenues to get their children help.”

Some critics even accused Megyn Kelly of being more of a defense attorney than an interviewer. However, all was not lost for Kelly: According to the Huffington Post, her interview brought in 3.1 million viewers — the highest for The Kelly File this year. The interview only helped Kelly’s ratings in the weeks that followed.

Even though Fox News still leads the ratings race, Variety claims CNN has shown a 26 percent increase in all viewers. CNN has yet to find their Bill O’Reilly or Megyn Kelly, but their no-nonsense approach to news has certainly helped them make a comeback.

[Photos by Larry Busacca and Neilson Barnard / Getty Images]

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