The past year and change have been a whirlwind for cable news personalities, with a hostile political climate as background noise to the scandals, headlines and shake-ups constantly plaguing some channels. One of the biggest twists came when longtime Fox News host Megyn Kelly declined new contract negotiations and made the jump to NBC and its news division. Rumors abound over what Kelly's lucrative new gig would entail, but NBC has reportedly decided to make some changes to its morning series Today, with Kelly taking over part of the four-hour block in the fall.
One of the details that went public surrounding Megyn Kelly's future at NBC was the promise of a morning show putting her in front of fans every day, and it appears that will heavily involve one of the A.M. hours that Today Show has taken up for years. But will Kelly actually be involved in the Today universe and its official branding, or will it be a series exclusive to her and a new set of producers? That's an issue that is still up in the air, according to THR.
Some reports were saying that the third hour of Today was being "cancelled" for the addition of Megyn Kelly, but some NBC spokesmen claimed that isn't true. She is expected to get the 9:00 a.m. hour, which currently has Al Roker and Tamron Hall anchoring things, although there is a chance that she could take the 10:00 a.m. slot that Hoda Kotb and Kathie Lee Gifford currently have. If the latter occurs, then Kotb and Gifford would likely shift to the earlier hour. I don't understand how Kelly could get that third hour without her project being a part of Today, but I guess weirder things have happened.
It might sound like Today's producers are being scandalous by chopping Al Roker and Tamron Hall out of everything, but the facts aren't so damning. Roker will still be a part of the gang in the 7-9:00 a.m. block that Matt Lauer and Savannah Guthrie anchor, and Hall's contract with NBC News is up in February, so she could possibly be leaving Today independent of Megyn Kelly's introduction. However, it's reported that NBC doesn't want to lose Hall, who also serves as an anchor on MSNBC, so perhaps she will stick around and also retain her earlier-hours presence in the fall. And if producers would decide to not keep Kelly by her lonesome, Hall wouldn't need to move at all.
The Today Show's third hour is currently a winner among broadcast networks, and it was only yesterday that Al Roker took to social media to champion that accolade. NBC has certainly seen the stories that Tucker Carlson is making big waves with his show's success in Kelly's former timeslot on Fox News, so the network might wait on that angle playing out before making a final decision. After all, that could have everything to do with political leanings, which isn't as big or obvious an issue with Today audiences.
This story certainly hasn't ended yet, so keep an eye on CinemaBlend for future updates, and stay tuned for more on where else Megyn Kelly will fit into NBC's news empire. In the meantime, take temporary comfort that Days of Our Lives is probably safe for now, and then head to our midseason premiere schedule to see what's hitting the airwaves long before Kelly makes it to morning broadcasts.
