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PEOPLE/ARTS Monday 25 SepteMber 2017
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Megyn Kelly hopes for a Trump-free zone with new show

By DAVID BAUDER of politics each weeknight.
AP Television Writer The Trump trauma wasn’t
NEW YORK (AP) — Megyn why she left Fox, Kelly said.
Kelly says she left Fox News She compared it to her de-
Channel to bring more joy cision to abandon law to
to her life. NBC hopes that become a journalist and
starting Monday, she can ending her first marriage:
spread some to the net- they weren’t bad experi-
work and its viewers. ences, but she knew there
The former Fox News Chan- was something better.
nel star and Donald Trump The truth, Kelly said, is that
foil debuts her talk show she’s not a political junkie
at 9 a.m. EDT, nestled into and cable television news
the four-hour “Today” is all about politics.
show block and compet- “I don’t want to talk about
ing in most of the country Trump all day,” she said.
with Kelly Ripa and Ryan “In fact, the bar is very
Seacrest’s “Live!” high for Trump coverage
Kelly hosted a Sunday- (on ‘Megyn Kelly Live’). If
night newsmagazine this you want Trump, you can
summer to middling ratings, watch virtually every chan-
and it returns next spring. nel in the country and get
It’s the daily talk show, in Trump non-stop. I think Megyn Kelly poses on the set of her new show, “Megyn Kelly Today” at NBC Studios on Thursday,
the lucrative morning mar- people are looking for a Sept, 21, 2017, in New York. Kelly’s talk show debuts Monday, Sept. 25, at 9 a.m. EDT.
ket, that will ultimately de- break from that. Not just Associated Press
termine the wisdom of NBC Trump, it’s inside the Belt-
News’ decision to hire her. way. I don’t want to talk and expert on the daytime ceded her. But attesting image. While audiences
She promises that “Megyn about Mitch McConnell ei- TV market. to the power of “Today,” are much more familiar
Kelly Today,” shown live ther, or Chuck Schumer or Name recognition, a con- the networks are already with her, she’s become a
with a studio audience, will Nancy Pelosi.” sistent time slot across the closer than you might polarizing figure. Among
be an information-packed “Live! With Kelly and Ryan” country that makes the think: “Live!” averages 2.8 women — the target au-
hour with a sense of fun. is a celebrity- and enter- show easier to promote, million viewers, while NBC dience for “Megyn Kelly
“It will be very similar to the tainment-oriented talk and affiliation with the well- has been at 2.4 million in Today” — her positive “Q’’
‘Today’ show, but we’re show. Kelly said her pro- established “Today’ brand the hour, according to the score tumbled from 21 two
going to have a lot more gram will be uplifting and give Kelly some advantag- Nielsen company. years ago to 4 this summer,
elbow room,” she said in an more substantive: recent es, he said. A few blocks uptown in said Marketing Evaluations
interview. trial runs had segments “She faces the challenge Manhattan, veteran “Live!” Inc., a company whose
Ellen DeGeneres initiated on reacting to the Equifax that every new program producer Michael Gelman data measures the rela-
Kelly into daytime TV this breach and protecting has,” he said. “Everyone is said his focus will stay inter- tive popularity of individual
week by having her awk- yourself from attack. Men- going to be looking to see nal. “I’m not being dismis- personalities. The average
wardly toss pizza dough, tal health, bullying, coping if the show maintains the sive, but I don’t really think score for TV hosts is 15.
stuff herself into a fat suit with divorce and tips for momentum of the ‘Today’ that much about the com- Figures like the Kardashi-
and dance with the au- job interviews are the type show.”Expecting Kelly to petition,” he said. ans, Martha Stewart and
dience; Kelly smiled and of topics she’ll cover. beat her more established The Trump saga and, per- Howard Stern are polarizing
played along. It was a Not news, but not fluff, ei- rival is probably unrealistic; haps, the debate earlier yet popular, too, said Henry
long way from her Fox life ther.Trying to imitate the NBC will be looking most this summer over whether Schafer, company spokes-
of pressing the future presi- formula of “Live!” would closely at how “Megyn her newsmagazine should man. It remains to be seen
dent at debates, enduring be a huge mistake given Kelly Today” compares have given a platform to if Kelly’s potential audience
his Twitter taunts and being its success over decades, to the nondescript third conspiracy theorist Alex won’t be too turned off to
the ringleader for an hour said Bill Carroll, a consultant hour of “Today” that pre- Jones, took a toll on Kelly’s watch.q
Demi Lovato to help war-scarred children in Iraq

By The Associated Press and Salah al Din areas. and CEO of Save the
NEW YORK (AP) — “Ending the stigma around Children, told the festival
Demi Lovato was named a mental health conditions crowd the organization’s
Global Citizen ambassador and supporting internally HEART program will allow
at the organization’s annu- displaced children to build displaced children scarred
al music festival Saturday, physical and mental resil- by the violence to process
championing the mental ience through education trauma “through drawing,
health of thousands of chil- and access to justice is not painting, music and other
dren displaced within Iraq a choice, it needs to hap- art forms” as a way to be-
and other vulnerable com- pen, and it needs to hap- gin healing and “rebuild
munities. pen now,” the singer said their self-confidence and
The singer and Global Citi- onstage in Central Park. trust in others.”
zen will fund the expansion Since 2014, more than 3 Lovato has been a strong
of a Save the Children pi- million people in Iraq have advocate for mental health
lot program, Healing and been displaced within the issues after sharing her own
Education through the Arts, country due to war and struggles with eating disor-
to violence-scarred young conflict. ders, substance abuse and In this Aug. 27, 2017 file photo, Demi Lovato arrives at the MTV
people living in Iraq’s Kirkuk Carolyn Miles, president a bipolar diagnosis.q Video Music Awards at The Forum in Inglewood, Calif.
Associated Press