As reported here last month, Fox News daytime anchor Megyn Kelly is set to move to primetime when she returns from maternity leave in September. At the time of the announcement there was no indication of which current primetime host would be ousted.
Today, Matt drudge is reporting that Kelly will be taking over at 9:00pm, the timeslot currently held by Sean Hannity. Drudge may not be the best source for news, but later this afternoon Fox News CEO Roger Ailes was asked about the rumor and, while declining to confirm or deny, pretty much confirmed it. When asked specifically about Hannity, Ailes only offered a vague non-reply saying, “Hannity is a brand that many of our viewers love and want to see, and, as you know, is one of the nicest guys in the building.”
Setting aside the fact that Hannity is perhaps the most despised person in the building (Bill O’Reilly won’t even talk to him), Ailes’ obvious dodge is revealing. There is still room for speculation, however. Hannity could be moved to 10:00, and Greta Van Susteren bumped out of primetime – perhaps to 7:00 where Shepard Smith is currently hosting his second hour of the day. Ailes was quoted at an investors meeting saying that “Shep and I have been working quietly on something we will roll out in September on how news is presented, a new way to deliver news.” So there is some fluidity in Smith’s future. Rolling out a “new way to deliver news” sounds suspiciously like throwing something up on the Internet.
In a demonstration of how inept the Fox News team is, they reported the news of Kelly’s scheduling by citing the Drudge Report and noting that “A Fox News spokesperson said no official announcement would be made at this time.” So apparently Drudge has better sources about Fox News than Fox News does. And don’t expect much to change at the network. As I wrote last month…
“[Fox News] will continue to be rabidly right-wing, with a clearly denoted bias for Republican Party dogma. Kelly’s entry into the club will not change that. In fact, it will congeal the conservative hackery into a younger, more alluring package. But the brain-dead zombies who watch Fox won’t have to worry a bit about whether they will continue to get a daily dose of propaganda devoid of those pesky and annoying facts that make understanding current events so difficult. For them, Kelly will be a comforting and reassuring breath of fresh lies.”
Megyn Kelly is nothing more than a younger, prettier, Glenn Beck. Her devotion to right-wing propaganda and conspiracy theories is just as strong, however her background in law and her personable presentation makes the disinformation that much more palatable to Fox’s geriatric, white, male audience. Stay tuned for more details.
[Update] Sean Hannity has commented on the programming rumors saying “Let’s just say in the end I’m very happy. That’s all I can say at this point.” That sounds like a confirmation that Kelly is pushing him aside and he is spinning it as positive for him. But unless he’s getting O’Reilly’s spot, I can’t see how getting booted out of the timeslot you’ve had since the network launched is a good thing.
Megyn Kelly is an excellent journalist. Period. End of story. She deserves this promotion. Congrats to Megyn and her husband on the birth of her baby.
Megyn Kelly may have the education of an excellent journalist. She may be capable of BEING an excellent journalist. But she does not display the attributes of an excellent journalist on FOX “News.” She’s as overtly partisan (complete with eyerolls, pregnant pauses, “some people say” statements and askance glances) as any of FOX’s night-time hosts.
This may quite possibly be one of the best responses I’ve seen in a while, online. You nail the point but also an appropriate counter response without being an ass. +1
And proves that sex can sell anything, even FOX missnews. She is only mildly dumber than Hannity. What a fabulous joke.
Megan Kelly is professional, much more so that the propagandists at CNN, NBC and the rest of main street media. I find it ironic that the same folks who watch other new stations are the same one enamored by Honey Boo, (phony “reality” TV), foul-mouthed Bill Maher, and support an Administration so devoid of honesty and transparency, they don’t even see their liberties disappearing right under their noses. They voted for and got the kind of government they deserved.
try main STREAM media…and the people who use fox as a news source have the collective intellegence of a gathering of the KKK
A “younger, prettier Glenn Beck.” Now that’s a disturbing image…
Journalism has absolutely nothing to do with “faux news” , it never has and never will be considered as a legitimate source of information by anyone with an education or triple digit I.Q.
You are wrong and 100% dishonest once again.
And with a “name” like teabaggers swallow, I’m sure you don’t fall into the educated or triple digit IQ group.
A history lesson: Tea partiers came up with the slur “tea bag” in this context, themselves. They had signs that said “Tea bag Obama before he tea bags you!” So, some of them at least, knew of the double entendre, from the beginning. It is only the fact that the slur backfired on them, and that it STUCK to their own side, that makes them so grouchy about its use today.
I don’t think the “swallow” part falls into that creation – you’re a moron for even defending it. I thought you libs are so much more sophisticated and thoughtful and smarter than everyone else – clearly not.
You’re obsessing over an Internet nickname and calling someone else a moron? Seriously? Is this your first time on the Internet?
Mark, you don’t generally waste comments to me on petty dust ups like this – did I say something that hit too close to home?
Maternity leave is for liberals. Get back to work
PLUZE….Your page is a ‘leftist wet dream’.. It is KILLING all of you that FOX is at the TOP AlWAYS…and will remain so. Just a shuffle in time slots…ALL will be happy 🙂
It does not kill all of us. Some of us are just sad and wondering at the depth of the ocean of imbecility represented by the Fox Noise audience.
Please, silly man. Your showing your intellect…Have it checked. If you believe that the LIB MEDIA is a basin of intelligent people. DREAM ON…and BTW, indeed, it is killing people as you that Fox NEWS has the American people’s ear…Calling Fox ‘ocean of imbelicity’ shows your low intellect…Fox news hosts are highly educated, and smart people, who LIVE their professional life on the HIGHEST RANKING NEWS STATION ON T.V…Get over it , man. Jealousy is ugly.
This “brain dead” zombie will gladly debate you on any subject and I will win every time because I will use facts and not platitudes.
Arn’t you embarrased no one talks back to you ? silly man.