According to various new reports, Megyn Kelly is picking up NBC employees one by one.
In a manner of speaking, that is.
The former Fox News anchor switched networks to kick off 2017, announcing a few weeks ago that she will debut on NBC later this year with her own program and also with many contributions to the company’s political coverage.
Since then, talk has switched to just when Kelly will premiere – and, more urgently, in what timeslot?
And while executives are yet to confirm the chatter, numerous outlets have claimed in the last couple weeks that Kelly’s presence on NBC will disrupt The Today Show in significant fashion.
She will either be given the 9am EST timeslot or the 10am EST timeslot, with Kathie Lee Gifford and Hoda Kotb either staying put or moving up an hour, depending on Kelly’s final destination.
In either of these scenarios, however, the victims will be Al Roker and Tamron Hall, who sources have said will no longer host their own 60 minutes of Today.
In response to the writing being on her occupational wall, Hall left NBC this week.
Clearly angry over how Kelly’s hiring will affect her future with the network, Hall chose not to sign a new contract, despite the fact that she does not have a new job lined up.
And now The New York Post is speculating that Savannah Guthrie will be the next Today anchor whose future becomes murky as a result of Kelly coming on board.
Multiple insiders tell Page Six that Kelly is likely to take the lead role on the NBC morning show alongside Matt Lauer when she starts in September.
What would this mean for Guthrie, who recently signed a new long-term deal with Toda?
She may be bumped to another role or possibly take over Hall’s 9 a.m. slot.
“NBC is not paying Megyn $ 12 to $ 15 million a year to be on at 9 a.m. The word is that Savannah could take the 9 a.m. slot and Megyn will go right in at 7 a.m.,” a source tells the newspaper, adding:
“There’s no way Megyn would have signed with NBC unless she was promised a big role down the line.”
Guthrie is currently on maternity leave.
She has not commented on this rumor or on Kelly being part of NBC in general.
Kelly, meanwhile, said goodbye to Fox News viewers on January 4.
“This was a tough decision for me because I love this show, our staff, my crew, our colleagues here at Fox and you, all of you,” Kelly says in the clip above.
But the reporter says she hopes those with whom she made a “connection” over the years will follow her to NBC, in whatever capacity she will appear on the network.
“If you’re Savannah, you’re looking over your shoulder every minute,” Page Six writes, explaining:
“The first time Savannah is out, Megyn will fill in, sitting next to Matt Lauer and NBC will go to great lengths to capitalize on it. It doesn’t make sense to pay Megyn that kind of money unless she’s on at 7 a.m.”
Before long-time viewers and Guthrie fans start an angry letter-writing campaign, however, NBC executives insist they will NOT be swapping out Guthrie for Kelly.
“Let me say this for the last time and as clearly as possible: This is never ever going to happen,” Noah Oppenheim, Senior Vice President of Today, tells the Post.
And Kelly’s rep has also chimed in on the rumor.
“This is unequivocally false,” he says.
Even so, tension is running high behind the scenes at Today once again.
Hall departed the series on Wednesday without an on-air farewell after turning down millions of dollars to stick around.
On Thursday she cleaned out her closet and shared a video of herself packing up her work clothes to donate to Housing Works.
“Thank y’all for all the love and support,” she wrote.