How CNBC could get people to watch again

Jon Friedman of Marketwatch.com has five suggestions for business news network CNBC for how it could get more viewers.

Friedman writes, “CNBC also faces regular criticism for veering too far into the entertainment realm of its broadcasts. Naturally, pundits pile on by saying the network’s broadcasts are dreary and turgid. (Over the years, at various times, I’ve found myself in both camps.)

“CNBC limps on, day after day, by presenting the same basic show. Here are five suggestions about how CNBC could achieve higher TV ratings.

“1. Make CNBC more about money instead of only stocks.

“When I worked for Bloomberg News, someone once told me that the key to Michael Bloomberg’s business strategy was to make Bloomberg LP a company about money and not merely stocks and bonds. CNBC needs to broaden its focus beyond the stock market ticker. By becoming more inclusive, it will add more viewers.

“2. Emphasize Kelly Evans.

“Kelly Evans, she of the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis style, is CNBC’s “it girl” right now. Bereft of an identity, the network needs to build its 2014 on-air persona around an on-air talent. She is clearly the one because she is likable, knowledgeable and fast on her feet. (Full disclosure: Evans worked at The Wall Street Journal for a few years, and she and I appeared often together on The Hub, one of the newspaper’s Internet shows.)”

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