After months of all the buzz surrounding what morning program Megyn Kelly would appear on, it’s been revealed that she’ll replace two anchors on the Today show’s 9 a.m. hour.
The move by NBC was an anticipated one after anchors Tamron Hall and Al Roker were cut from the mid-morning segment of Today . It was perceived as a calculated decision to allow a spot for Megyn Kelly to host the show or have her own program in the fall. As The Hollywood Reporter details, the show will remain at the 9 a.m. hour with Megyn taking over hosting duties starting in June.
NBC President Noah Oppenheim told the outlet that the morning audience had been underestimated in terms of wanting more serious news and Megyn Kelly fits that mold perfectly.
“[Kelly] is tough and fair; there’s a place for that [on morning TV]. We’re not giving enough credit to the morning audience to think that they don’t want those things. Her background is as an attorney, she’s a mom of three, and she has had a lot of experiences that will be relatable to a huge cross-section of the audience in the morning.”
It’s also mentioned in the report that there are no plans for Kelly to have a regular role on the main 7 to 9 a.m. hour of Today , which is anchored by Matt Lauer and Savannah Guthrie. In spite of tabloid reports suggesting that Lauer or Guthrie are in jeopardy of losing their jobs on the show, there’s no danger of that happening.
. @MegynKelly ‘s new show to replace 9 a.m hour of ‘Today’ https://t.co/u4Y9F2hGX1 pic.twitter.com/xNN3aSSlKK
— Hollywood Reporter (@THR) May 1, 2017
Oppenheim added that the current staff on Today’s 9 a.m. hour would remain when Megyn takes over, but it’s possible some staffers who worked with her at Fox News will be brought over. A few weeks ago, the studio was interviewing producers for the star journalist’s afternoon show on NBC. Details about that side of her work at the network have yet to be disclosed. Kelly is conducting a sit-down interview with the entire Kardashian family with the exception of Caitlyn Jenner and Rob Kardashian. That interview is slated to appear on Kelly’s afternoon show in September.
When it comes to the Sunday night news magazine special that Megyn Kelly will anchor, a spokesman for the network says a trial run will air beginning in June. Dateline executives David Crovo and Liz Cole will be involved with the program.
Another interview that Megyn might conduct will be with Russian President Vladimir Putin. NBC News Chairman Andrew Lack made a trip to Russia recently to negotiate an interview with the country’s leader. It was originally thought that the interview with Putin would be Megyn’s debut interview, but the one getting the most attention this week is her discussion with the Kardashians.
First day on the job @NBCNews ! On the air in June, but had so much fun meeting new colleagues today. Grateful. Happy. pic.twitter.com/ervrTM3A8I
— Megyn Kelly (@megynkelly) May 1, 2017
The ratings for Today were high before it was announced that Megyn Kelly is replacing the segment’s two anchors for the 9 a.m. hour. Tamron Hall turned in her resignation immediately following news that she and Al Roker were being cut from the cast.
“The last ten years have been beyond anything I could have imagined, and I’m grateful. I’m also very excited about the next chapter,” Hall said in a statement. “To all my great colleagues, I will miss you and I will be rooting for you.”
NBC is betting that Megyn is going to be a ratings hit for the network. She brought in huge ratings for Fox News’ The Kelly File, and it’s believed she’ll do the same for the peacock network.
Are you looking forward to watching Megyn Kelly on Today’s 9 a.m hour?
[Featured Image by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images]
