(Newser) – Megyn Kelly has duked it out with the likes of Donald Trump and Newt Gingrich. Now those high-profile duels could pay off big: Deep in contract negotiations, the Fox News star is asking for a salary "north of $20 million," the Wall Street Journal reports. And she could get it. Keeping the Kelly Files host from fleeing to another network is a priority for Rupert Murdoch, who says he keeps tabs on her contract talks "every minute of the day." And money, he adds, isn't an issue. Kelly, who is now reportedly earning $15 million, apparently means business, switching agents and hiring a high-profile publicist. The raise she is said to be seeking would put her on par with Bill O'Reilly. Her show, with 2.7 million viewers this year, is second only to The O'Reilly Factor's 3.2 million. (She has sparred openly with O'Reilly and Sean Hannity.)

Among her possible suitors are ABC and CNN. But some question whether Kelly's brawling style would fly in another setting. "She’s not yet shown a warm and fuzzy side," says a former Good Morning America producer. Kelly has seen her profile skyrocket this year after she challenged Trump over his treatment of women, and her latest tangle with Gingrich went viral after she disputed his sunny take on Trump's poll numbers and elicited an on-air meltdown. Kelly, who's made it clear she wants to be the next Barbara Walters, is one of Fox's less ideological personalities, unafraid to buck the Fox party line. "To be able to stand up and ask tough questions to your boss’s choice of president shows a certain steeliness," says former CNN president Jon Klein. To wit: She was notably silent as her co-workers leapt to defend Roger Ailes as his sexual harassment scandal broke. For now, says Murdoch, "It's up to her." (Read more Megyn Kelly stories.)

