The reported tiff between CNBC's Money Honey Maria Bartiromo and upstart Erin Burnett, whom the New York Post dubbed the "Street Sweetie,'' is mana from heaven for News Corp. (NYSE: NWS) Chief Executive Rupert Murdoch.
His Post gets a juicy chick fight to write about -- although the General Electric Co. (NYSE: GE) cable channel denies there is a fight -- and it makes a rival to his yet-to-be launched Fox Business Channel look foolish as a bonus. Plus, it gives Fox a good excuse to try and lure either one of them away from CNBC. Interesting how corporate synergies work in today's media world.
Mind you, I have no idea whether Bartiromo and Burnett hate each other or not. Usually, Page Six is pretty truthy in the Stephen Colbert sense of the word. You have to think that someone close to Bartiromo or Burnett -- perhaps the person who looks back at them in the mirror -- is spilling their guts to the Post. Yes, the media world is just like high school.
Bartiromo has long been a subject of the gossip pages. I urged CNBC to fire Bartiromo earlier this year after her relationship with ousted Citigroup Inc. (NYSE: C) executive Todd Thompson brought derision on the network. Since then, she's indicated that she's more interested in being a TV star than a journalist. Burnett, whose path I crossed when I was at Bloomberg News, is gaining the good kind of publicity. In fact, Broadcasting and Cable called her CNBC's "secret weapon."
But there's an extra dimension to this tabloid battle that's worth considering.
There are many media conspiracy theorists who argue that Rupert Murdoch will tabloid up the Wall Street Journal once he gets a hold of Dow Jones & Co. (NYSE: DJ). I think that these fears are overblown. Murdoch won't use the Journal to settle scores with his enemies and heap praise on his friends. Why should he when the Post does that so well?
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
7-27-2007 @ 5:20PM
Joe Pampel said...
Becky Quick is light years ahead of either Maria or Erin.
7-27-2007 @ 5:23PM
Joe Pampel said...
Whether their is a row between Maria and Erin Burnett is largely irrelevant.
the key woman player is Becky Quick.
7-27-2007 @ 5:28PM
Francisco Martinez said...
Keep Burnett, she is smart and charming. I love to watch CNBC when she is on air.
Fire Bartiromo, she think is starring at a TV reality, I really can't stand her, yesterday she was rude even with some of her peers, thinking her appearance is more important than the news, and finally she was so loud-voiced that forced me to switch channels.
7-28-2007 @ 9:43PM
ron paine said...
Both Maria and Erin are okay but neither can really do much to turn this station around. Only the early morning group is worth a few minutes watching. This however is no great surprise as NBC continues getting it's programming wrong. MSNBC has become far and away the worst network on cable. Don't understand how Jeff Immelt can tolerate such failure in an otherwise historically successful and proud corporation like GE. Welch no doubt would have made the drastic changes needed at NBC years ago, instead of Immelt's continuing to tiknker around the edges not having the courage to do what's necessary especially at MSNBC.
7-31-2007 @ 4:35PM
RG said...
I agree with Francisco Martinez, Maria sucks, and its so funny to see Maria acting (copying) like ERIN since she (Erin) got more AIR TIME, she tries to be funny on TV, but she looks BAD because she doesnt have the charm of Erin. I am happy that finally someone is showing MARIA how to be humble and spot being suck a B......ch on tV. Maria acts like she is the best when she actually sucks I CANT STAND MARIA!!!! GET OUT CNBC you ruin the day of all viewers.
8-01-2007 @ 7:59PM
Christoph said...
As far as Burnett eclipsing Maria--I just don't get it. Closely watching this gal as she's voraciously gobbled up airtime over the past couple of months (all in her "aw shucks I'm just a country girl who raised chickens" shtick), as well as her patronizing colleagues like Haines, I think this girl has serious issues that have yet to emerge as a big problem for CNBC. But I guarantee that they will if CNBC gives her too much more visibility and/or production-programming responsibility. Maria's recent snafus will pale in comparison.
As far as I'm concerned, there is no competition. Maria (and Liz, Sue, Becky and Melissa) win hands down. Burnett is harsh, gives horrible interviews (she once laughed at a CEO's attempt to seriously respond to one of her totally inappropriate questions--I can't believe that she'll draw the repeat interviews like Maria and Liz), totally unprofessional with colleagues (talks over Haines and Faber all the time). Her segment with Cramer is the most annoying "suck up" session I've ever seen. I love Cramer, but she makes it seem like those guys are a bad married couple. She's just totally inappropriate--totally disrespectful to Cramer (as she routinely is to even the most high-profile guests she interviews--there's a fine, but very important line between being a probing journalist and being just downright rude).
And her obvious, almost obsessive need to outshine everyone around her (Williams' grads are notorious for feeling the need to overcompensate to overcome their "Ivy wannabe" insecurities) makes her drive to gulp up all the airtime she can a little "All about Eve" nightmare for everyone else on CNBC. How many hours of the CNBC day has she schemed her way into? 1, 2, 3, 4, now 5!!!! As well as MSNBC mornings with Scarborough and NBC's Today Show, too. Enough already! Give me Maria and throw Burnett overboard to be picked up by Fox.
I can't believe CNBC lost Liz. I bet her decision was driven, in part, by Burnett's seeming psychopathic quest to "emerge" as the CNBC "star"--and, obviously, the producers' enabling it to happen (what is this gal doing behind the scenes to get all this airtime?) If she had it her way, Burnett would be the exclusive anchor 24/7. If CNBC's not careful, in addition to Liz, they'll lose Maria, Haines and who knows who else. (A fairly disastrous outcome for CNBC that I bet Burnett would greet with glee, since it would give her even more visibility!)
If that happens, I'm Fox all the way. Burnett already is way too much to take. As far as I'm concerned, CNBC has lost much of its credibility for allowing Burnett to hoard as much facetime as it has. CNBC has been remarkably successful in the past by effectively exploiting its deep pool of talent--ALL of its great anchors, as well as reporters. Even at the height of her "CNBC Star" days, Maria's airtime never approached the currently ubiquitous presence of Burnett's visage. She's EVERYWHERE! At all hours of the day AND night! "America's Business Channel" is turning into the Erin Burnett Show. Any more Burnett and the program will simply be unwatchable.
Fox, you can't air soon enough for me!
8-10-2007 @ 10:47AM
StanPhillips said...
I am constantly amazed at the thousands of words negative especially and positive that hit these blog sites an NOTHING....REPEAT NOTHING ever gets done. People reportedly, within the GE company and no doubt CNBC screamed for Maria Bartiromos firing. STILL JEFF IMMELT apparently pays no attention. Bartiromo at one time, was the best....then came Bartiromo/Thomson and her real self came forth......with obvious greed. I wanted her gone January 26, 2007......it is possible a contract and payoff would be a lot for shareholders to handle. However, (Allegedly) GE could never afford its own fleet of corporate jets to have kept Maria Bartiromo in company atmosphere instead of shoving her into her own apparently, weak infidelity. I used a couple words to keep attorney away. Remember them ...alledged, apparent, heard to say, etc.