Bidding War? What Bidding War? 

Stephen Battaglio reports: Megyn Kelly’s bestselling memoir is called “Settle for More,” but the star anchor may have to settle for less money if she decides to leave the Fox News Channel.

Kelly is said to have not made up her mind about staying with Fox News beyond the end of her contract in July, even with an offer of more than $20 million a year to stay, which would put her in the same income bracket as NBC’s “Today” co-anchor Matt Lauer.

“Katie Couric is the perfect example of how her success at the ‘Today’ show never transferred to anyplace else. And that happens with most people.”

So far no other networks have offered to top Fox’s figure, according to network news executives and agents familiar with the talks and who were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly. A spokesperson for Creative Artists Agency, which represents Kelly, declined to comment on her contract negotiations.

Kelly’s future is being closely watched. She is the first breakout talent in the TV news business in recent years, becoming an even bigger name in the aftermath of her showdown with President-elect Donald Trump at the first Republican primary debate in 2015.

In an earlier era, her availability likely would have commanded a bidding war. But in a fragmented media environment where there are no longer surefire ratings hits, networks are cautious about making major financial commitments.

Fox News is willing to give Kelly a raise over the $15 million a year she is currently earning because she consistently attracts more than 3 million viewers a night for her prime-time program “The Kelly File.” But there is no guarantee that the loyalty of the Fox News audience is transferable to another channel, where Bill O’Reilly, the most popular personality on cable news, would not be her lead-in.

One agent who handles TV news talent noted how executives have been wary of taking a star out of a successful format since Katie Couric moved from NBC’s “Today” in 2006…(read more)

Source: LA Times

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