Bloomberg TV hires Willow Bay for temporary assignment

Brian Stelter of the New York Times reports Wednesday that Bloomberg Television has hired Willow Bay, former CNN business news anchor, as a special correspondent to cover the Milken Institute Global Conference.

Stelter reports, “The short-term hiring of Ms. Bay, the wife of the Disney chief executive Robert Iger, is bound to renew speculation about a potential pairing between Bloomberg and Disney’s ABC News division. A partnership of some sort has been the subject of widespread speculation in the television news business recently.

“David Rhodes, the head of U.S. TV operations for Bloomberg, noted in an interview Wednesday, that ‘we have relationships with a lot of different networks,’ and said Ms. Bay’s stint on the business news channel is unrelated to that.

“‘This is about what she’s able to do for us in covering this event. We’re hoping to break some news there and put on some interesting programs,’ he said.

“Mr. Rhodes said that Bloomberg lacks a big presence in Los Angeles, where Ms. Bay lives. ‘Willow is a smart and engaging talent who is right there in L.A. and familiar with the themes and the people that are going to be at this event,’ he said.”

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