Fox News taped Megyn Kelly’s exclusive interview with Ted Cruz this afternoon under the assumption that it would air as scheduled, tonight at 9 p.m. during “The Kelly File,” but MSNBC somehow scooped FNC’s own town hall.
Kelly interviewed Cruz on the road in Madison, Wisconsin, where an NBC affiliate apparently gained access to the event. MSNBC aired 12 minutes of the interview with anchor Tamron Hall providing commentary.
During the broadcast, you could hear background noise and Kelly’s interaction with the crowd. You could also hear a director or stage manager giving directions. Hall spoke over Kelly for much of the 12 minutes.
A source familiar with the situation tells TheWrap that this was a Cruz campaign event moderated by Kelly – not a Fox News event in the way most MSNBC or CNN town halls are created and run by the networks.
The same source says that neither the campaign nor Fox News issued usage restrictions before the event – not written or verbally. However, NBC stopped filming once a Cruz campaign staffer asked them to stop.
Fox News announced Friday that tonight would feature a series of conversations with the Republican candidates for president, with all three taking place in front of a live audience.
Greta Van Susteren will interview Ohio Gov. John Kasich at 7 p.m. during “On the Record with Greta Van Susteren,” followed by “The O’Reilly Factor.” Kelly’s interview with Cruz airs at 9 p.m. and Sean Hannity‘s “Hannity” will stage an hour-long interview with Donald Trump at Pabst Theater in Milwaukee at 10 p.m.