Rupert Murdoch: CNBC's On-Air Talent Not 'All That Good'

Rupert Murdoch spoke last week with TheStreet.com. In the interview the media tycoon denied interest in the New York Times, dissed Twitter, and dug into CNBC.

Question: Are you annoyed you don't own CNBC?

Murdoch: No

Question: Why not?

Murdoch: Because we're going to enjoy the competition. We have to get wider distribution and that takes time. We are further ahead with Fox Business than we were at this stage with Fox News, and Fox News today is one of our very greatest and largest assets.

Question: Why don't you hire away all the CNBC on-air people?

Murdoch: We don't think they're all that good. There are some good ones, but that'll be up to [FNC/FBN chairman] Roger Ailes. We create or we discover previously undiscovered talent and make them into stars.

Comments

[corte33]

CNBC is the best show for worthless financial advice, and Fox News is the best for worthless news drivel.

[TurkerB]

Considering the duds that Murdoch has on the payroll on Faux Noose, he ought to personally know about hack reporting and quality of on-air journalism from his ownership of a stenographic service for the GOP.

[Polarcap]

oops - gotta run - back to Fox News for some fair and balanced reporting! (we have to pay extra in Canada for Fox, but not for Al Jazeera)

[Ronju01]

sour grape !!

[sleepdawg]

This from the man who gave us Brit Hume and Tony Snow? Please.

[Polarcap]

yes, he did have an eye for objective talent

[liarsclub75]

I'll take Brit Hume and Tony Snow over Beck or Baier. Those guys stink.

[powertothepeople]

and who do you like? Olberman and Maddow? Pathetic.

I wonder what they would be like in a debate. I guess we will never know because they both bring guest on that preach to the choir.

Boring.

[witz]

"We create or we discover previously undiscovered talent and make them into stars."

Priceless.

You mean like Hannity or O'Reilly? . . . one of the 20 other puppets that you have reading the teleprompter? Could you go into that a little further Mr. Murdoch?

[Polarcap]

uh, yes, it's Bambam that is king of the teleprompter

[Pegi]

for once i agree with this ogre, however, his business crew is no better.

[Cooper1608]

Same thoughts here Pegi, As much as I dispise this man, he is spot on on this one.

[Polarcap]

Keep it rollin', Rupert - you're doing a great service for those of us who are not suckered by the fawning lefty press - real news, fair and balanced, is all we ask and you are the only one giving it to us - and without any tingly legged 'reporters'

[Belisarius]

Poor the man another glass of that kool-aide. He says that he likes it. Good for him.

[JessWonderin]

oh yea . . . "great service" . . . . .

Fox underhandedly defined "Right Wing Propaganda Machine" for the modern age . . .

[Belisarius]

The ratings of fox business news are so low that they are not even published.

And for good reason. It's content is about 5% business news and the rest is political rants. I call it the poop channel.

[Polarcap]

do you wipe after - or use your finger?

[liarsclub75]

Is that a fetish for you?

[infodoc1]

Fox News: Giving a platform to brainwashed lunatics since 1996

[dj5850]

LMAO!!!

[mostlybluedot]

Sadly, he is right but probably for the wrong reasons. Just tell me, Ruppert, you will tell your folks not to scream and talk over each other. that is the worst part - - apart from their apparent lack of real expertise. But hey, Fox will continue that tradition. Say whatever you want as long as it supports the party line, right??CNBC is pretty much the same but not as controlled. They all have their own agenda, generally on the far right, just like FOX.

[Dubnacious]

I agree totally

[ladyvader]

Murdoch needs to hire people that do not scream at their guests. Or cry all the time.

I doubt anyone from MSNBC would want to work for Faux News anyway.

[JayDDrew]

Money talks, especially to camera whores. Most of those people on either channel would switch in the middle of a tv show for a few more dollars and more air time.
I've watched "guests" on some shows, such as the four Saturday a.m. shows, go from very reasonable, non-biased individuals to spouting the right-wing talking points, and I'm sure it has to do with money and/or air time.
If you don't think Erin Burnett, Jim Cramer or their ilk would switch channels, you're kidding yourself.

[PopZeus]

Heheh. He's right that some of CNBC's on-camera talent suck, but then again, I'm not even sure you could call Fox's people talent.

[queeraz]

Faux News truly is his big asset. Who else can afford to report inaccurate news that is slanted to support the Republican't party? Wonder if all of his employees have 100% paid insurance.

[TruthJusticeForAll]

I am extremely impressed with the opinion of the former Down Under Fascist who has done so much to destroy American Freedom of the Press & Democracy.

[Polarcap]

so you think that anyone who disagrees with you destroys freedom of the press and democracy - did you listen to yourself before you put that in print? - uh, no, you probably didn't