Fox News’ Megyn Kelly Tops Bill O’Reilly in Demo for First Time

Bill O’Reilly has long been top dog at Fox News Channel, but last week for the first time, he was outdrawn in the key news demo by the net’s new kid on the primetime block, Megyn Kelly.

In a news-heavy week that included primary elections and the release of prisoner Bowe Bergdahl, “The Kelly File” averaged 413,000 adults 25-54 in the 9 o’clock hour, according to Nielsen — her second biggest average of the calendar year. That was slightly more than “The O’Reilly Factor,” which averaged 402,000 in the preceding hour.

(“Kelly File” had prevailed once previously over “The O’Reilly Factor,” but that was in a week when O’Reilly was off and replaced by substitute hosts.)

“O’Reilly Factor” still prevailed in total viewers last week, but it was close: 2.53 million to 2.43 million for “Kelly File.” Both shows dominated among cable newsies in their respective timeslots.

Kelly last week had exclusive interviews with platoon members of U.S. Sgt. Bergdahl, who was released from Taliban captivity last weekend. She also had a notable interview on Tuesday night with Annette Bosworth, a candidate in the South Dakota GOP’s senate primary, breaking the news to her on live television that she had lost the election.

Long considered a rising start at the network, Kelly joined Fox News Channel’s primetime roster last fall — the first addition to the net’s winning lineup in 10 years.

She had been a regular weekly fixture on “The O’Reilly Factor” and also served as host of the network’s two-hour “America Live” program. In 2012, Kelly co-hosted FNC’s coverage of the presidential election.

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