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Local Nielsen ratings snapshot (Mon.-Tues., May 16-17) -- Megyn has her moment

By ED BARK
@unclebarkycom on Twitter
The careful care and feeding of Megyn Kelly took center stage Tuesday night with her first prime-time interview special on a broadcast network.

Fox’s Megyn Kelly Presents, highlighted by her first face-to-face meeting with Donald Trump since their dustup at August’s inaugural GOP presidential candidate debate, aired in a tough 7 p.m. slot opposite CBS’ NCIS and NBC’s The Voice. She faired fairly well in D-FW, drawing the biggest TV crowd of the day on Fox/Fox4 while also running third in prime-time’s opening hour in both total viewers and advertiser-prized 18-to-49-year-olds.

Kelly Presents had 198,307 total viewers and 44,460 in the 18-to-49 age range. NCIS had 417,862 total viewers, with 57,163 in the 18-to-49 demographic while The Voice pulled in respective totals of 226,637 and 63,514 viewers.

Thumbnail review: Kelly spent too much time posing and touting her emotional trauma at the hands of Trump before, during and after their mostly inconsequential interview. But she did get him to say that his presidential campaign will be “a total and complete waste of time, energy and money” if he doesn’t go all the way to the White House.

Kelly also talked to transgender actress Laverne Cox, former O. J. Simpson defense attorney Robert Shapiro (who remains extraordinarily full of himself) and actor Michael Douglas. All of the interviews were done in steely, colorless, no-frills settings. Barbara Walters used to visit her subjects’ homes and play around with them a little before they conversed in outwardly comfy surroundings. Kelly in contrast might as well have met her prey in an elevator. In fact, many an elevator has more ambience.

She closed the special by shamelessly promoting her new book and promising to further “tell all” about that nine-month ordeal after Trump insulted and shunned her. Self-aggrandizement knows no bounds when it comes to playing hard to get in the final year of Kelly’s contract with Fox News Channel. But judging from Tuesday’s intended big splash special, Walters can still rest easy in her retirement. The kid, although 45, still has a long way to go.

Elsewhere Tuesday, CBS’ NCIS: New Orleans took the 8 p.m. hour in total viewers while NBC’s Chicago Med had the most 18-to-49-year-olds. Fox4’s 9 p.m. local newscast won its slot in both ratings measurements.

The Fox network’s 8 p.m. premiere of the “reality” dating series Coupled looked DOA with a puny 49,577 total viewers and 22,230 in the 18-to-49 motherlode.

Monday’s prime-time parade was paced by NBC’s The Voice in total viewers (283,296) and TNT’s opening Oklahoma City Thunder-Golden State Warriors post-season clash among 18-to-49-year-olds (142,907).

Here are the local news derby numbers for Monday and Tuesday (the 13th and 14th weekdays of the May “sweeps” ratings period).

Monday -- TEGNA8 ran first in total viewers at 10 p.m., but Fox4 was tops with 25-to-54-year-olds (main advertiser target audience for news programming),

Fox4 again swept the 6 a.m. races and drew the most 25-to-54-year-olds at 5 p.m.

NBC5 won at 5 p.m. in total viewers and at 6 p.m. in the 25-to-54-year-old demographic. TEGNA8 had the most total viewers at 6 p.m.

Tuesday -- CBS11 won at 10 p.m. in total viewers, but Fox4 again had the most 25-to-54-year-olds.

Fox4 also scored twin wins at 6 a.m. and was No. 1 at both 5 and 6 p.m. with 25-to-54-year-olds.

TEGNA8 drew the most total viewers at 6 p.m. while Fox4 and NBC5 tied for the total viewers lead at 5 p.m.

Email comments or questions to: unclebarky@verizon.net