Yesterday, it was announced that Megyn Kelly is leaving Fox News for NBC News, where she will become anchor of a one hour daytime show, anchor a Sunday evening news magazine show, and will occasionally contribute political analysis to NBC News special coverage.
Broadcasting & Cable reports Kelly’s upcoming daytime program will take NBC’s 9 a.m hour. That means it would replace Today’s third hour, which is the bridge between flagship Today (7 – 9 a.m.), and Kathie Lee and Hoda’s carefree 10 a.m. hour.
The network’s 9 a.m. hour seems ripe for a makeover. Today’s pop culture-focused third hour launched in 2000, and while Al Roker and Tamron Hall have been mainstays over the past couple of years, the rest of the lineup has been unstable. Willie Geist left the program last summer to focus more of his time co-hosting MSNBC’s Morning Joe, and Sunday Today. Billy Bush left Access Hollywood to take Geist’s place after being on the West Coast for a dozen years. Former third hour co-host Natalie Morales moved to L.A. to take Bush’s seat at the Access Hollywood desk. Bush butted heads with staff not long after he arrived at Today in August 2016, and was taken off of the program in October 2016 after the notorious Donald Trump harassment tapes were released.
In regard to Kelly, a network source says all timing is still to be determined.