Farewell Mareeaah. The Money Honey who epitomized CNBC in its high flying (pardon the pun) years when it was actually a source of useful information, has just marked the nadir of the TV station which in the past five years rebranded itself stock market propaganda central, and whose viewership plunged appropriately to a 20 year low as we recently reported. As Drudge reports, Bartiromo whose contact is up, is moving to Fox Business.
DRUDGE has learned that Maria Bartiromo is jumping to FOX BUSINESS NETWORK with an announcement expected sometime soon. Sources close to the situation say there have been ongoing conversations throughout the Fall. The new deal calls for Bartiromo to anchor a daily market hours program on FOX BUSINESS. Insiders say there will be a role on FOXNEWS as well… DEVELOPING…
To be sure, this is hardly a surprise. News of her imminent contract expiration came a few months ago…
CNBC’s No. 1 star, Maria “Money Honey” Bartiromo, with her hefty five-year contract set to expire late this year, is in play and is shopping herself around to rival networks, sources familiar with the situation tell The Post.
Bartiromo, 45, whose hustle and knack for landing exclusive interviews with newsmakers hasn’t been able to stem the steady decline in ratings for CNBC overall and her show in particular, is taking advantage of an open “negotiating window” and has talked to Fox Business Network and CNN, among others, sources said.
The business TV dynamo reached out and hired mega-talent agency CAA earlier this year. She is working with the agency’s boss, Richard Lovett, considered one of the top TV and Hollywood agents, and Olivia Metzger, a former CNBC talent scout, who heads CAA’s Big Apple office.
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.
A spokeswoman for FBN said: “There are no serious discussions going on.” CNN had no comment. A spokesman for CNBC said: “She is under contract with CNBC.”
Reached Friday as she was flying back from Lake Tahoe, where she reported from the American Century Celebrity Golf Tournament, Bartiromo, in an email, told The Post: “I don’t have any comment on anything right now.”
The intrepid brunette referred further questions to CAA.
And it appears CNBC decided not to renew. As for FBN, the discussions appear to have been serious.
Our only question: is that other symbol of the old school CNBC, Joe Kernen, set to follow her through the exit door?
     |
via Zero Hedge http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/zerohedge/feed/~3/OH4LmC_wPQQ/story01.htm Tyler Durden