Posted on 07/03/2006 7:35:27 AM PDT by abb
When Jonathan Wald was fired as executive producer of the "Today" show, he says, "I wanted to stay in the game and get back into the daily battle."
When Josh Howard was forced to resign as executive producer of "60 Minutes II" after the botched story on President Bush and the National Guard, "I frankly wasn't sure, after my last experience, whether I wanted to work in television again."
Both men landed at CNBC, where they are helping to retool programming on a business channel that has struggled in the ratings since the dot-com bust six years ago.
Wald helped launch the 7 p.m. weeknight show "On the Money," which takes a freewheeling approach to the financial side of pop culture. Howard is preparing the fall launch of a monthly magazine show that sounds suspiciously like "60 Minutes" and producing four documentaries, some of which may run as long as two hours.
The two executives are helping to move CNBC, which fixates on stocks and bonds during the day, toward a broader definition of business coverage. And they're finding it liberating to be freed from having to deliver mass audiences for the broadcast networks.
"We don't have to do a piece on Britney Spears because we need to drag in the 18-to-49-year-olds," Howard says. "It's a huge advantage."
Since its core mission is to cover Wall Street and corporate America, CNBC's fate is tied to public interest in the markets. So executives are trying to dream up new programming that will get more people into the cable tent. "We'd like everybody who has even a passing interest in business and markets and investment," says Mark Hoffman, who took over as CNBC president last year and would face stiff competition if Fox News follows through on plans for a business channel.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
Ping
With or without Wald and Howard?
And note where Josh Howard, late of Setunim Ytxis II, is now working for CNBC!! Said Josh Howard was a casualty of Buckhead and FreeRepublic.
I shudder to think what that expletive could be. < |:)~
I think Ascots are hip. They helped John Kerry.
I think that would be the ticket.
?? But they do anyway.
Jonathan Wald and Josh Howard together on CNBC !
Unbelievable !
Jim Cramer has driven me away in the afternoon. These clowns will finish it.
CNBC had some decent talking heads. It seems that they never miss a chance to miss a chance.
Most smart folks with actual business experience have already left.
george, I'm wondering if Ailes' and Rupert's lack of speed in getting Fox's business channel up and running is an omen? I know that when I want to find out any kind of business news I go to the web instead if CNBC. My point being, is CNBC now not needed? Ergo, why should News Corp spend millions getting a news channel up and running if it's now obselete? And is CNBC about to meet up with an iceberg?
Check out this story here
http://wired.com/wired/archive/14.07/murdoch.html
I tried to post it the other day, but wired.com won't allow linking...
One less Cable Channel to worry about.
CMBC seems to be doing a good job of shooting itself in the foot.
Maybe they will miss their foot and hit what you suggested:
"CNBC needs to be dragged out behind the barn and have its brains blown out..."
Fox tells me all I want to know on saturday mornings. I don't have time or desire to tune in the rest of the week.
A good business news channel or two is needed.
Maria B. is very good. They had John Bollinger and John Murphy there for a good while. Marcie R. was knowledgeable and could express herself; Sue H. lets the guest speak..
Bloomberg has some good interviews. There are other random business news shows for an hour or two.
FNN died years ago, then Cfnn died.
I think that there is a market to justify the programming. The networks start with a good business model, then shoot themselves with People magazine stuff.
Having traders from the floor to explain what they see is wonderful. Art Cashin, Boone Pickens, Steve Forbes, and others bring real world experience. Unfortunately, many of the hosts try to compete with their long statements instead of asking a brief question.
Newscorp could make money with this if they follow a real model.
CNBC will hit an iceberg if they forget their views like us.
We all go to the web more as the suits hire idiots like Jonathan Wald, Jim Cramer, and Josh Howard .
The only thing of value on CNBC is Lawrence Kudlow.....
Ron Insana had very knowlegable guests and asked very good questions.He had people like Ralph Block and Byron Weems and the man who was ahead of Vanguard, along with Bollinger and Murphy. Insana has all but disappeared. I only watch CNBC now between 2:30 and 3:00 to hear what Cashin has to say. I know other traders like myself are not staying with CNBC the entire trading day as was the case a few years ago.
Is he the guy that screams like he doing an informercial?
Yep, FR was all over the fake (but accurate) TANG memos.
I like Phil F. for Bond trading info. and Bill S. for his good views, too.
It is sad that the suits at CNBC do not understand the business of business.
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