Murdoch rarely grants interviews at all, so his decision to speak suggests some drama behind the scenes.
Vanity Fair's Sarah Ellison recently reported that Murdoch and his sons James and Lachlan, who jointly run 21st Century Fox, want Kelly to renew her contract before she begins a book tour next month.
Kelly's book "Settle for More" comes out on November 15, and while she is promoting it she will undoubtedly be asked about her future at Fox.
Kelly has been reluctant to renew so quickly, according to a person who has spoken with her.
She is genuinely torn about staying at Fox, a network known for its conservative bent, or moving to another network.
Hosts like Kelly are sometimes restricted from having formal talks with rival networks until their contracts are about to expire.
But executives at other networks have made it clear that they'd be interested in talking with her.
Kelly has one of the highest-rated shows on cable news, and she has talked about wanting to broaden what she does, "in the vein of Charlie Rose" or Oprah Winfrey, according to a Vanity Fair profile earlier this year.
The Murdochs have many potential outlets for Kelly, including the Fox broadcast network. But a prime time special she hosted in May did not live up to (admittedly inflated) expectations.
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