Has Bartiromo lost her fastball?

Marketwatch.com media columnist Jon Friedman writes Friday that CNBC anchor Maria Bartiromo seems to be coasting.

Friedman writes, “Maybe it’s as simple as this: Maria has been on cruise control ever since her chief rival, Erin Burnett, jumped ship and went to host her own prime-time show on CNN. Without Burnett on hand to push her, day after day, Bartiromo has lost some of her intensity.

“At CNBC, people who know her shrug off any notion that Bartiromo has peaked or is slowing down. ‘Did you see her (broadcasts) in Davos?’ said one. ‘She is relentless!’

“Don’t get me wrong. I’m no inveterate Bartiromo slammer. I wrote glowingly about her in a 2006 column, in which I made a case that her once-signature ‘Money Honey’ label had become outdated and frivolous.

“Why does it matter if Bartiromo has lost a mile or two off her fastball? Because of who she is and what she represents to CNBC. She is the best-known journalist at the network, which is likewise the signature name in business television.

“Bartiromo is always an intriguing subject to those in business-television news. People gossip about her all the time, with questions ranging from her appearance to her demeanor to her future. Will she stay at CNBC? Will she jump to Fox Business or Bloomberg, both of which are anxious to increase their reach with Wall Street audiences?”

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