Categories: OLD Media Moves

Bartiromo in tiff about Burnett?

Richard Johnson of The New York Post writes that CNBC anchor Maria Bartiromo is apparently upset about all the attention being given to upcoming CNBC anchor Erin Burnett.

Johnson wrote, “An inside source tells Page Six the Money Honey has been fuming that curvy Burnett, in addition to her duties as anchor of ‘Street Signs’ and co-anchor of ‘Squawk on the Street,’ is getting substantial airtime on the ‘Today’ show, which gives her a much bigger audience. ‘Maria is like, hey, why isn’t it me on the ‘Today’ show? She’s very jealous of all the attention Erin is getting,’ our source said.

“Burnett’s star is certainly skyrocketing. Broadcast & Cable magazine called the petite, blue-eyed brunette CNBC’s ‘secret weapon’ in its upcoming battle with the soon-to-launch Fox Business Channel, which is owned by News Corp., The Post’s parent. Adding insult to injury, the trade journal quoted CNBC senior VP Jonathan Wald as gushing about Burnett, ‘She’s a natural. She’s both energetic and solicitous, but she never appears fawning.’

“Bartiromo is also said to be riled at a July 15 Post profile of Burnett which crowed that in less than two years she has blossomed from a relative unknown into Wall Street’s sizzling media darling. Earlier this year, Burnett handily won a poll of the hottest financial news anchors on Wall Street gossip blog Dealbreaker.com. She got 37 percent of the votes while rival CNBC anchor Becky Quick came in second with 22 percent. Bartiromo only got 13 percent.”

View Comments

Christoph says:
July 30, 2007 at 1:59 pm
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 Haynes, 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. Maria's recent minor bobbles 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 Haynes and Faber all the time). Her segment with Cramer is the most annoying "suck up" session I've ever seen (I love Cramer, by the way). She makes it seem like those guys are a bad married couple. She's just totally inappropriate. 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 almost 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, they'll lose Maria, Haynes and who knows who else. 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 most of its credibility for allowing Burnett as much facetime as it has. "America's Business Channel" is turning into a spooky dÃ©jÃ vu of Burnett's scary tenure with the seriously challenged Bloomberg network. Any more Burnett and the show will simply be unwatchable. Fox, you can't air soon enough for me!
germangirl says:
August 30, 2007 at 11:41 am
amen...have to listen all day and it is grating with a capital G! The other day I was listening and thought I heard one of Maria's yelling spells but it was way too early to hear her and I look up its some Trish?? All I know is it seems like they have all gone to the Maria school of broadcast journalism. "Listen to me.... I can talk louder and more annoying, I know this market...gag