Megyn Kelly Interview With Conspiracy Theorist Fails To Garner Big Ratings

Commentator Megyn Kelly poses at The Hollywood Reporter's 25th Annual Women in Entertainment Breakfast at MILK Studios on Wednesday, Dec. 7, 2016, in Los Angeles. (Photo by Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP)
FILE - In this Dec. 7, 2016 file photo Megyn Kelly poses at The Hollywood Reporter's 25th Annual Women in Entertainment Breakfast in Los Angeles. Kelly defended her decision to feature "InfoWars" host Alex Jones on h... FILE - In this Dec. 7, 2016 file photo Megyn Kelly poses at The Hollywood Reporter's 25th Annual Women in Entertainment Breakfast in Los Angeles. Kelly defended her decision to feature "InfoWars" host Alex Jones on her NBC newsmagazine despite taking heat Monday from families of Sandy Hook shooting victims and others, saying it's her job to "shine a light" on newsmakers. Critics argue that NBC's platform legitimizes the views of a man who, among other conspiracy theories, has suggested that the killing of 26 people at the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, in 2012 was a hoax. (Photo by Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP, File) MORE LESS
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HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — Megyn Kelly’s interview with conspiracy theorist Alex Jones was seen by 3.5 million viewers, according to Nielsen.

Much criticized ahead of time, the report filled roughly one-third of NBC’s hour-long “Sunday Night with Megyn Kelly,” whose audience was dwarfed by CBS rival “60 Minutes,” which drew 5.3 million viewers.

Jones, among other claims, has called the 2012 shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, a hoax. Members of that community, where 20 children and six educators were killed, were among the voices raised against NBC airing the interview. A local NBC affiliate didn’t carry the program.

During the interview, Jones never gave a direct answer when Kelly pressed him to admit he was wrong in his claim about the shootings.

Kelly drew 6.2 million viewers to her interview of Vladimir Putin during her show’s June 4 debut.

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