The Bartiromo-Burnett rivalry

Marketwatch media columnist Jon Friedman examines the rivalry between CNBC anchors Maria Bartiromo and Erin Burnett and notes that the business news cable network has a lot at stake and is counting on its two stars.

Friedman wrote, “These anchors have helped it build an audience among the institutional Wall Street crowd. CNBC has become virtually synonymous with the epitome of the establishment, the New York Stock Exchange. By contrast, the ever-shrewd Fox is expected to reach out to individual investors, a vast and potentially lucrative group that CNBC has been accused of largely overlooking.

“Of course, CNBC’s worst dream is that Bartiromo and/or Burnett becomes so disenchanted that one or both jumps to … the Fox Business Network. It’s a fair question as to whether CNBC can manage to keep its two anchors happy.

“There are potential pitfalls when a successful organization boasts two stars. Remember, Shaq and Kobe helped the Los Angeles Lakers win three consecutive NBA championships not so long ago, but ultimately they weren’t content with sharing the limelight and the team fell apart. ‘Cheers’ was once the most popular situation comedy on primetime TV, but Shelley Long bolted to become a movie star, as co-star Ted Danson got more acclaim.”

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