Claire Atkinson of The New York Post writes Sunday about how rival business news networks CNBC and Fox Business Network are battling each other to have exclusive interviews with CEOs, particularly at the Consumer Electronics Show.
Atkinson writes, “The war between the two networks continued over Sony CEO Kaz Hirai, who granted Fox Business News journalists an interview despite a CNBC producer and cameraman going crazy trying to lure Hirai to CNBC first.
“That news infuriated CNBCers, who went into ‘hysterics,’ said one witness.
“Our snoops say other top executives were given much the same treatment from CNBC: It’s us first and nobody else second — or else. Dish boss Joe Clayton appeared on Fox Business but got the cold shoulder from CNBC. (Dish and CNBC declined comment.)
“Only AOL boss Tim Armstrong bagged Fox Business in favor of CNBC.
“One senior executive involved in the p.r. wranglings said, ‘This has been going on for a number of months, but it’s gotten to a hysterical level. . . . Everybody has a tough schedule; it really felt like they [CNBC] were coming unhinged.'”
Read more here. The Post and Fox Business are both owned by News Corp.
