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PEOPLE & ARTS Thursday 27 July 2017
Viewers taking wait-and-see attitude toward Megyn Kelly

By DAVID BAUDER 2.85 million. The show has for her tough questioning
AP Television Writer averaged 3.71 million of Donald Trump in a
NEW YORK (AP) — After her viewers, down 10 percent presidential debate.
brassy start at NBC News, from “Dateline NBC” on Trump’s attacks led to a
viewers are taking a wait- Sundays last summer, the sharp increase in general
and-see attitude toward Nielsen company said. awareness of Kelly, said
Megyn Kelly in anticipation A repeat “Dateline” rerun Henry Schafer, spokesman
of her big test this fall. that aired on July 2 reached for Marketing Evaluations,
Her newsmagazine ends more viewers than all but Inc., whose widely followed
its eight-episode summer the first episode of “Sunday “Q’’ score measures the
run this weekend, featuring Night.” popularity of public figures.
Kelly’s interview with comic Yet television viewing is The company’s most
Ricky Gervais. off in general. CBS’ “60 recent measurement, from
That’s a light sign-off Minutes,” which airs in the earlier this year before she
after her newsy debut in same time slot as Kelly, started at NBC, showed
June interviewing Russian has dropped 15 percent in Kelly with a positive “Q’’
President Vladimir Putin. viewership over the same score of 8, below the
Kelly’s show isn’t as popular period, Nielsen said. average of 10 for television
as its predecessor in the “I don’t think you can say personalities, Schafer said. In this May 5, 2016 photo, Megyn Kelly poses for a portrait in
time slot, “Dateline NBC,” it’s a failure at all,” said Her negative score was 38, New York.
and established the Brian Wieser, analyst at the well above the average of Associated Press
ominous trend of losing Pivotal Research Group. 22, he said. for her morning show. people with high negatives
viewers from the week “It’s way too early to say it’s Kelly’s scores are worse If there’s a silver lining, it’s — Rush Limbaugh and Bill
before with every episode. a failure. It’s safe to say she among women, and that morning competitor O’Reilly come to mind —
But NBC pronounces itself hasn’t hit a home run yet.” women make up the bulk Kelly Ripa is a polarizing still command large fan
pleased, and points to Marc Berman, executive of the available audience figure, too. And many bases, Schafer said.q
Kelly’s range in conducting editor of the Programming
interviews with Putin, ESPN’s Insider newsletter, said he
Erin Andrews, “Hillbilly thinks NBC did Kelly no
Elegy” author J.D. Vance, favors by putting her on the
TV personality Maria air during the little-watched
Menounos, conservative summer months opposite
firebrand Alex Jones and the well-established “60
women who work at Silicon Minutes.” Better to air it in
Valley firms. a time slot behind a more
Now the former Fox News popular show — “America’s
Channel anchor turns Got Talent,” perhaps? — or
her attention to the more simply build anticipation
important part of NBC’s so she starts at NBC with
investment: a one-hour her morning show, he said.
weekday morning show Instead, she goes into the
that premieres on Sept. 25. fall with questions about
“Our intention was to her popularity, he said.
do some really good Corvo said another time
journalism, and I think we slot wasn’t considered,
did, to do some fun pieces, primarily because Sunday
and I think we did that, and evenings at 7 p.m. has
to give Megyn a chance been the home of a news
to do some pieces and show for more than two
she really came through decades on NBC.
for us in great style,” said There’s also something
David Corvo, NBC News to be said for giving Kelly
executive in charge of experience and exposure
newsmagazines. in a different role than she
Her interview with Jones played at Fox, before her
attracted the most morning show starts.
attention, with critics “I don’t know if the
wondering why NBC gave audiences are the same,”
a platform to someone Corvo said.
who questioned whether “I think that NBC News
the Sandy Hook school viewers who didn’t know
shootings took place. The who she was, who sampled
interview that aired was the program, will have a
tougher than a promotional very positive view of her
clip distributed early in the because I think the stories
week had led people to she did were really strong.”
believe. Kelly brought baggage
The debut of “Sunday with her to NBC. She’s
Night” with Putin reached caught in the middle
6.2 million viewers and this between people who don’t
past Sunday’s episode, like Fox and regard her
which aired late opposite with suspicion, while some
“Game of Thrones,” had Fox fans harbor bitterness