Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Names and faces
■ NBC News announced its professional divorce agreement with Megyn Kelly late Friday, ending an association with the former Fox News Channel host whose attempt to become a network morning-television star as part of the Today show floundered. Terms were not disclosed. Kelly was in the second year of a three-year contract that reportedly paid her more than $20 million a year. She had been off the air since October after creating a furor by suggesting that it was OK for white people to wear blackface on Halloween. Exit negotiations dragged on for two months over the holidays. Even before the controversial commentary, her future was considered limited at NBC News. “The parties have resolved their differences, and Megyn Kelly is no longer an employee of NBC,” the network said in a statement Friday night.
■ A Maine newspaper that horrified author Stephen King by dropping its local book review coverage used his complaint to boost digital subscriptions. King, who lives in Bangor, complained Friday about the Portland Press Herald’s decision to stop publishing freelance-written reviews of books about Maine or written by Maine authors and urged his 5.1 million Twitter followers to retweet his message. The paper responded by promising to reinstate the local book reviews if 100 of King’s followers purchased digital subscriptions to the newspaper. It reached that goal late Saturday morning. In a tweet announcing the subscriptions, the newspaper said, “You all are the best readers anywhere. Sincerely,” and, “We love you Maine. We love you journalists. We love you newspapers.”