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

[MurrayAbraham]

Of course there isn't any talent on CNBC, it's cable!
The funny thing is that he says this, knowing it's not true because he's no fool, and it becomes news. Mission accomplished.

[xargaw]

Murdoch has made a fortune appealing to the uniformed, uneducated, non-intellectual lazy dupe. He may be right when he criticizes other networks, but from the podium of which he speaks, he is hardly the person to criticize others. FOX is the Jerry Springer of News.

[Polarcap]

and you know this because...­? or are you yet another pontificating fruitvake lefty windbag?

[mostlybluedot]

He knows it because he has half a brain.

[HisPetGoat]

I think you owe Jerry an apology.

[MSNichols]

What? They won't lie through their teeth enough for him?

This man has and is doing this country harm

[josephebacon]

Look who's talking!

[Berkeleylefty]

Murdoch says CNBC staff is "not that good." Compared to what? His staff?

Please... at least the CNBC staff have a moral center. I can't say the same for those working for this megalomaniac's evil empire...w­hich will continue to grow... unfortunately. Unless it is stopped in the halls of the FCC, or Congress.

Berkeley Lefty

[Berkeleylefty]

Correction: I thought he meant MSNBC! Mea Culpa!

(After a while they all start looking the same..)

We all know CNBC is nothing but a cheerleader and have been in bed for/with big business.

Dang what a choice: The "ladies of the night" at CNBC or the "ladies of the right" at Faux News?

Berkeley Lefty

[Ares1]

Nothing like two now deticated anti-Obama networks fighting it out with each other.

[Nyc Labrets]

Day after the 3rd Presidential Debate last October, also the night of the Al Smith Dinner, in a week where the NYSE had dropped over 400 points, I was at the base of Broadway, in New York City, just down the street from Wall Street, where I found a Fox Business Channel crew doing a live stand up remote in front of the statue of the Wall Street Bull.

Passing by it became clear that these Cheerleaders for the greatest collapse of Financial Markets in History were down there to do Man In The Street interviews with clueless tourists, i.e., put a Smiley Face Sticker on the whole shebang for their National Fox News/Business audience.

Unbelievable.

The sheer nerve of that is breathtaking.

So I mixed it up with them, engaging in constructive criticism of their peddling of the crap that has led to trillions of dollars of losses for the Hard Working People of America who put their faith in the markets.

The crew got mad at me because I had my camera with me. They took issue with me taking it out and filming them, because they, the Masters of Ambush Journalism, felt like I was ambushing them.

What a bunch of whiners and crybabies.

I totally got the better of them.

In fact, I got the Overdressed and Overpaid, Blow Dried, TV Pretty Boy 'Reporter' to lose it and mouf an 'Eff You!' to me, so did get under his skin.

Felt good.

[Polarcap]

oh, what a hero, you are! can I get your autographed picture so I can fawn over somebody who 'totally got the better of them'? (of course, we have to take your word for it, but I'm sure you wouldn't lie now, would you?)

[miriamfl]

I think we are all tired of business as usual ! It has been a rollercoaster ride. The tech bubble, the housing bubble the banking bubble. I don't bother turning on financial networks anymore. My husband will come home from work and ask " How the market do" my response who cares anymore?
I get nostalgic about the years when there was only ABC,NBC, CBS, there is just too much information ( TMI )and half of it is questionable. They are trying to fill 24 hours 24/7 and grasping at straws. When I turn on the news at 6:30 I ask myself why have I been watch cable news this is all the information we really need. I should just cancel cable however I do like Huff-Post.

[antiprop1]

Who do you think you're fooling, Rupert? Definitely not the core audience of this lefty blog. Your reactionary garbage media conglomerate is only preaching to the mentally challenged 'base' now. Nobody takes you and your joke of a network seriously. You were soundly rejected by the American electorate in November and I don't see a sea change in the works until you moderate your hateful positions. Keep it up, Dems love you ensuring a 'permanent majority' for them. Keep going after Sotomayer, I love watching you alienate the largest growing minority in the country.

[Montgriz]

He was not soundly rejected..­..the GOP was soundly rejected..­.In fact, loathesome as it is, FOX has made this Australian pretending to be relevant an extremely rich guy and in this country, morally bankrupt, that is winning...­..That you can spend time posting as you did shows just how great an influence Murdoch and his bogus news station has.

[noudidnt]

He's right.

[unami]

Looks like a bad year for farmers.

[forestnfama]

Well if that is the case that Murdock finds and creates stars from where I see it he has failed miserably. More like it he goes and finds ego-centric fools who masquerade as newsmen. Give us a break Murdock and admit that faux is nothing more and a corporate propaganda machine.

[bugsbonzai]

Well I agree with the scoundrel, but it's a bit like the owner of the Knicks talking smack about how much the Clippers suck. Not much of a track record there, Down Under Rupert, when your own station does nothing but hire brainless Stepford-Wife bimbettes with blond hair and veneers and zero credentials. I guess the talent being "good" is simply a matter of demographic viewing metrics.

[DestinationsUnknown]

After Obama’s press conference Erin Burnett was on CNBC with Aetna’s CEO, a larger health insurance company- and criticized Obama’s remark regarding insurers cherry picking and not paying claims-

Apparently - Erin never listened to POTUS on the campaign trail when he spoke how this happened to his own mother -dying of Cancer.

Burnett pushed for the CEO to answer her claim that it is the EMPLOYER not the INSURER increasing premiums.

So for all you employees whose employer insists the insurance cos. raised rates- according to CNBC Erin Burnett- they are basically lying to the employees and racking in the savings.

To all you EMPLOYERS- quit ‘lying to your employees’!

[JackieOC]

Good for you!!!

[SCG]

From article above:

"By 2008, a barrel of oil was traded 27 times, on average, before it was actually delivered and consumed."

[DestinationsUnknown]

How many jobs were vreated last summer at 5.00 per gal?

[DestinationsUnknown]

created

[SCG]

^Wrong post, sorry meant for the main.