It's all starting to make sense now. For the past several months I've been watching a subtle re-branding of Maria Bartiromo, a re-branding unambiguously distinct from CNBC. Unlike her colleague Amanda Drury (whose Twitter handle is @MandyCNBC and who is in for an awkward conversation whenever she moves on to greener pastures), Bartiromo has embraced the empire she's built. And now she might be taking her show on the road.
It's hard to imagine CNBC without the Money Honey. I mean, hell, she's been there 20 years! But the fact is that the network ain't what it used to be, and that's likely the cause of her happy feet. Rather than innovate and produce a broadcast far superior to its rivals, CNBC has chosen to circle the wagons and institute draconian appearance policies which have alienated many high-profile guests.
The Brooklyn-born Bartiromo famously was the first woman to report live from the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. She has been with CNBC since 1993 and is said to earn between $2 million and $3 million a year.
It's been interesting to watch the subtle things she's done over the past year to clear a path away from CNBC if that's what she ultimately chooses when her contract expires later this year. She recently hosted an investment conference, and her social media presence (hers, not her on behalf of CNBC) has grown by leaps and bounds. Whether she's angling for a better deal from the network she's spent two decades with or she really thinks she's going off the reservation, she has definitely opened a new chapter in the book on Maria Bartiromo.
I applaud the move. You guys know how I feel about keeping your options open, even if you eventually stay put. She's smart to develop her personal brand, and woe be to CNBC if she actually leaves. I can see her taking a significant portion of their audience with her.
What do you guys think? Does she jump ship? CNBC is definitely against the ropes right now, so it might be the best time to make a move for her. I personally would rather see her start her own network a la Oprah than go to work for one of CNBC's competitors. With her grasp of social media she could definitely be a force to be reckoned with online, and that's where most of us get our info anyway.
It could be the end of an era at CNBC.
she's not the hottest, but definitely one of the smartest talking heads on the boob tube nowadays.
It's been quite a while for her. I think she looks great at her age. Amanda Drury is a smoke show for sure, but she's no Maria. She will be missed...
Looks like her 5 year deal is just about over and she's shopping around
http://www.nypost.com/p/news/business/out_networking_WzsI8m8BuXdBz2UrGN…
I don't see the appeal for her. Not only is she below average in the looks department, the questions she asks are no better than others. There are plenty of times during her show where she stumbles over sending to commercial as well.
I'd take Eisen or Massar any day over Maria.
I think she'll go if the network continues to sink, but where? I don't watch much Bloomberg or Fox Business (shudder), but maybe I'm thinking about it wrong and she could go kill it on another cable network. CNBC definitely needs her more than she needs them, so I applaud the rebranding.
While we're on it, I like American Greed (gives me hope I can always raise capital from suckers) and Cocaine Cowboys was a good feature, but otherwise I have little use for their programming.
It's 4 o'clock on wall street, do you know where your money is?
...to admit that I've had a crush on this woman since the first time I watched her say that is an understatement...
Only reason I watch CNBC is for Maria's insights...and a Mandy Drury wardrobe malfunction
She'll probably end up at Bloomberg. The cross marketing platforms they have are more of what she is trying to accomplish. I have watched her occasionally, and did not form any adverse opinion. She's a solid anchor for sure, but CNBC doesn't live and die by her presence. Its main problem is lack of good original programming. It seriously needs more shows like Cocaine Cowboys and American Greed.
I stopped watching CNBC after Erin left.
Just don't go to CNN. Or Fox.
Isn't she married to like the founder of Wisdom Tree or some ETF manager? I am sure she could just retire if she wanted to. As far as CNBC sinking, the network will never die because it is what most people are watching. Even though Bloomberg offers great insights and commentary, CNBC has Jim Cramer, which is meant to attract the average American into the stock market. Most people in this country have no idea what to do with their money, so they need a person like Cramer or those Fast Money guys to tell them what to short and buy. Even though they are all wrong most of the time it doesn't matter. In America, people want entertainment not real information, this is why CNBC is still doing better than most when it comes to business news. People nowawadays want to hear Booyah!! and animal noises when it comes to the market, than actual insightful information.
Mandy Drury is like 20x hotter than Maria Bartiromo (who I've seen in person).
That's all I have to contribute here.
Have you guys even watched Fox Business? I've gotten much better insight there than CNBC on many occasion
if by better you mean hotter and by insight you mean boobies then yes, i agree with you
I thought CNBC lost a significant amount when Erin Burnett left, and now the only female anchor left with any knowledge of the market is Maria. If CNBC loses Maria too, then it would really be down hill.
I still watch CNBC over Fox Business, Bloomberg, ect for the interviews they draw. But if Maria follows the path of Erin or Dylan Ratigan then it might just be to greener pastures for myself.
I don't know why, but Im not the biggest fan of cnbc. It doesn't encourage critical or independent thinking and it's shifted from a network focused on business facts and analysis to this network that seems to be desperately trying to distract sellside traders and salespeople.
If Bartiromo switches to Bloomberg, maybe the banks will replace CNBC with Bloomberg too? Maybe the quants who have to sit on the floor will finally be able to get some work done after the close without hearing Jim Cramer hit all of his sound effect buttons. Heck, maybe the absence of Rick Santelli's screaming voice will mean they might be able to get something done during the day.
As for the business networks, I think Bloomberg has the smartest content. If you can communicate news without screaming during the daytime or doing documentaries on weed, porn, and con artists in your evening programming, you're a network that respects the intelligence of your audience.
delete
Nihil accusantium deserunt qui occaecati et. Non voluptate quo nostrum laborum. Aut voluptas asperiores suscipit nostrum suscipit. Corrupti voluptates voluptas enim sit. Et autem nihil laborum vel magnam magnam temporibus. Odio amet sit nostrum ex optio quia vel.
See All Comments - 100% Free
WSO depends on everyone being able to pitch in when they know something. Unlock with your email and get bonus: 6 financial modeling lessons free ($199 value)
or Unlock with your social account...