Brennan is Bloomberg TV's best hope

Marketwatch media columnist Jon Friedman writes Wednesday about Margaret Brennan, the new anchor at Bloomberg Television, which is trying to reinvent itself.

Friedman writes, “Bloomberg made an ideal hire in Brennan, who has the gravitas to give the network an identity. I’ll go so far as to say that if BTV ever became a household name, it would be because of Brennan. She has the ability to lift Bloomberg all by herself.

“‘Margaret is one of the smartest journalists working in the business today,’ Ratigan, host of ‘The Morning Meeting’ on MSNBC, told me. ‘I admire her poise and patience and clear desire to listen to her guests.’

“Brennan understands global financial news and looks comfortable conducting both impromptu and scheduled interviews. She can offer instant analysis when a big story breaks and always looks unruffled. But perhaps her key quality in TV news’ celebrity-driven culture is that she is very likable. She has a pleasing, relaxed broadcasting style.

“Brennan, who joined Bloomberg in July, fits in well with its no-frills, information-first culture. And I suspect that she is relieved to be free of CNBC’s culture of personalities. You won’t find her preening like Charles Gasparino, pounding the table like Jim Cramer or shrieking about the president like Rick Santelli.”

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