Media Matters for America, a watchdog group that has long criticized now NBC Today anchor Megyn Kelly, has called for her ouster following comments she made and has since apologized for.
“While it’s good to see that NBC rebuked Kelly’s recent comments defending blackface and allowed its other on-air talent to do the same, it’s time for some action," said Media Matters President Angelo Carusoni. "NBC knew full well what it was getting when the network hired Kelly, formerly of Fox News."
Kelly said Wednesday (Oct. 24) she was sorry for comments suggesting costumes employing blackface were ever OK, in this case if it were done "respectfully as part of a Halloween costume." But she said she had been wrong and "I am sorry."
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Blackface was employed by whites in minstrel shows into the early 20th Century and became a symbol of racial stereotyping.
Kelly's 9 a.m. Megyn Kelly Today is on tape through the rest of the week while NBC considers Kelly's future.
Media Matters, which compiled a video of Kelly comments while a Fox News anchor, ones it suggested also deserved condemnation as racist, said in a statement that NBC should "cut its losses and terminate Kelly’s contract. What we said when NBC hired her remains true today: You can take Kelly out of Fox News, but you can’t take the Fox News out of Kelly.“
