Megyn Kelly Being ‘Shipped’ Overseas By NBC For Assignment As ‘Strategic Sendoff’?
Megyn Kelly is getting “shipped” overseas by NBC to South Korea for an assignment Today‘s Matt Lauer and Savannah Guthrie refused. The move comes after negative reports of the former Fox News‘ host’s low ratings for her hour of the morning program.
According to sources at “NBC’s Manhattan headquarters,” studio executives are sending Megyn Kelly to South Korea to cover the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeonchang beginning February 9. They tell Radar Online that it’s an assignment no one wants because of the tense situation with America and North Korea. Pyeonchang is just 50 miles from the border separating the two countries.
The move of “shipping” Megyn Kelly off is characterized as a “strategic sendoff,” the report states. An expert was quoted in the article as saying Olympic organizers are “thrilled” to know North Korean figure skaters are going to the Olympics because there’s less chance of a nuclear attack if the country “sends delegation.”
An insider tells Radar Online that Megyn is “falling” for the idea that they’re putting her talents to good use by sending her overseas. She’s not heading breaking news coverage, which was the purpose of her original hiring. The source claims that Megyn thinks NBC is doing her a favor by having her go to Korea. Furthermore, Matt Lauer and Savannah Guthrie don’t want to be where there’s “potential danger” at any minute and go on the air with “big morning smiles,” a source says.
In one regard, Megyn going overseas to cover the Olympics isn’t anything out of the ordinary because when NBC hired her, it was revealed that she’d cover special events. The events announced mainly involved breaking news or political coverage, however. She’s not known for hosting sports events, which will be new ground in her career. Kelly most likely will interview key figures in the various sports and have insightful topics to report on in South Korea.
Despite her 9 a.m. hour of Today struggling in the ratings department, viewership is slowly improving. An NBC spokesperson has said many times that new TV shows take a while to get established with ratings and that Kelly’s arrival was expected to create low ratings until the show found it’s groove with the audience.
Will Megyn Kelly’s ratings improve on Today after covering the 2018 Olympics in South Korea?
[Featured Image by Bryan Bedder/Getty Images for Bob Woodruff Foundation]
