Megyn Kelly May Not Be The Subject Of An Intense Cable News Bidding War After All

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Megyn Kelly’s future at Fox News may be more certain than expected if a new report from Vanity Fair is true. The second-highest rated host (behind Bill O’Reilly) on the cable news network has been presumed to be the future of the network, if she chooses to stick around. And Rupert Murdoch has made no secret of his desire to hold onto her, which makes sense with so much upheaval following Roger Ailes’ ousting. In addition, Kelly can always hold her own against difficult guests like Newt Gingrich with steely grace.

So, when word came down that Kelly was seeking a salary in excess of $20 million, folks also naturally assumed that networks would be emptying their piggy banks to capture her. Not so fast, says Vanity Fair, which quotes CNN, ABC, and CBS insiders who reckon that Fox News is likely the only serious contender for Kelly’s affections. This apparently isn’t anything personal, but no one else can afford her:

But so far, the purported auction for Kelly’s services has not come to fruition. One CNN insider explained, “of course we would love to have her,” before noting that poaching Kelly, given the likely cost of her contract, “is not something we are seriously considering.” Instead, this person elaborated, CNN is investing more in documentary-style programming after the election. “I don’t believe anyone is pursuing her other than Fox at this point,” said one ABC insider. A source close to CBS said that they are not making an offer, either.

One side note — an ABC News source told Vanity Fair that Kelly’s conveniently civil interview with Donald Trump may been “particularly damaging to her perceived ability to ‘translate’ to a morning show,” meaning that Kelly’s biggest “get” may have hurt more than it helped. That is to say, networks still want her, but not enough to gamble with the salary she’d prefer.

The news isn’t all bad. Vanity Fair also relays that multiple anonymous Fox News sources claim that Murdoch has offered Kelly the $20 million+ figure she wants. However, an official spokesperson for the cable news network chose not to comment, so perhaps there will be a true announcement soon.

(Via Vanity Fair)

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