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The Vicious Competitive Intelligence/Counterintelligence War At CNBC
Frequent Zero Hedge readers will, of course, be aware that we take a keen interest in the ongoing state of "financial journalism." Suffice it to say that the ups and downs of the more mainstream players in the field are indicators that command, if not rabid attention, our regular interest, or even amusement. In this context, the sort of intuitively obvious relationship between, say, CNBC's Nielsen ratings and a 30 day moving average of the VIX, never disappoints when given visual expression. To wit:
28 months of CNBC's P2+ (Viewers Over Age 2) and A25-54 (Adults 25-54) ratings versus the VIX's 30-day moving average.
Source: Nielsen Media Research, P2+ & A25-54 AA ('000), M-F 5a-7p
Of course, it would be somewhat base to suggest that ratings (or the VIX) tells the whole story here. A number of external forces drive the "ratings wars," not least of which are the slings and arrows braved by the many on-air personalities making up the rough interface between viewer and news.
In CNBC's case, for instance, consider the recent departure of former on-air editor Charles Gasparino for rival Fox Business Network. CNBC has put a brave face on the defection, but apparently it hasn't stopped a form of ongoing competitive intelligence manifested by a complex latticework of tips and alerts directed at keeping CNBC on top of exactly what that upstart Fox might do next. Amusingly, this may well mean that Fox Business Network's ratings were spiked by the many monitors at CNBC Listening Station #3 (Englewood Cliffs, NJ) tuning into the channel after CNBC learned from a tipster that Gasparino, not yet even fully debriefed by the Fox Business' counterintelligence desk, was minutes away from breaking a major story.
Ironically, our own spies tell us that the sudden retasking of NBC owned KH-12 satellites (or perhaps merely surplus KH-1 birds given budget constraints at troubled bank NBC parent GE) that resulted had followed a meeting wherein executives described their own content as "boring" and urged the group to "break more news." Apparently, after a large portion of the now tipped off studio watched Gasparino (on his first day with Fox no less) announce that Tiger Woods would issue a public apology- apparently Gasparino called in the tip while at home still in his skivvies- even Marc Hoffman was heard to wonder aloud how exactly CNBC had managed to miss it.
Well, there's always the chance of a second credit crisis and some hefty VIX index numbers.
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Credibility is earned. Once lost....
It's take ten 'atta boy's to make up for one f*** up. Since NBC has loaded up on the f*** ups what exactly could remedy that. The Peacock is dead.
It's a good step.
Now, if you can just explain why Don Imus would be on a channel trying to earn share from CNBC... It's like watching The View with a scrolling ticker below. Pointless.
vive l'cock!
"Vive l'cock!" doesn't work. The "C" in "Cock" is a consonant, not a vowel. It should be "vive le poussin!" or something like that. Sheeesh. In any case it's a god-damned peacock. If you were going to get it wrong, it should have been, "vive l'peacock!" Holy shit, I took French for one year in highschool 38 years ago, and I know that. What the fuck's wrong with people these days? I pay taxes so people can trade in their brains for merde.
Speaking of credibility...I've seen a lot of shady stuff out of Barron's. It is too bad that it's articles are painted on this site via "The Fly On The Wall" as that "news" is released. I wouldn't mind seeing that banned from this site.
I'm gunna miss Charlie demanding that his fellow CNBC analysts let he finish what he was saying. Also I'll miss the chubby blonde anchor ending each Charlie segment with "We love you Charlie"
American media is an illusion..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=clnozSXyF4k&feature=player_embedded
Beautiful and terrifying.
CogDis pointed out some time ago that although we can consciously explain to ourselves that viewed images may not be real we subconsciously cannot.
No wonder we have trouble relating to each other these days - alone in a room full of people. Go back...to .. ... slee....
Or watch this "entertainment" instead:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vrXgLhkv21Y
I wonder if there is a way to rate the story content based on tags such as fear mongering, green shoots, obfuscation, etc. Would be interesting to see how the financial news media choice of topics and spin compares to moves in markets.
I always had a sneaking suspicion that 3 year-olds were watching.
When I was in college, we had a study group at one person's house. She used the TV/VCR as a babysitter while we studied. The next day, our professor gave us strange looks as half a dozen engineering students walked into Calculus III singing a childrens' learning song. :)
Sounds like the baby was watching CNBC too. !-)
Think inside the box, I dare you.
It wouldn't surprise me if Fox has an offer for Santelli in the works.
+4
Personal acquaintance of Rick, he was originally offered deal by Fox when Liz Clayman left, of course, she had Fox producers under the impression she could deliver Buffet. Apparently, she underestimated the lengths one Becky Quick would go to, to, uh, well, uh, you know, uh...
Anyways, Santelli missed the boat and will in all likelihood go down with the ship.
Ummmm, Becky Quick. Wish her performance lives up to her name.
Barnburner.
"always wanted to work for fox"...yeah, where there is always blood on the streets. cnbc is a group of dimwits, like charles, and fox is the same. not economists, not journalists, not smart, not savvy, just egotistical. and shall i note, one thing i have learned is that the underlings of the oligarchs act very similar to the latter. in fact, the plebs of the nations do as well. they worry little, and love the feelings of greed. the oligarchs are not only incompetent with "running" the world, they are completely arrogant and justifiably ignorant of the situations that are truly faced by the "people" of the world.
They are script readers.
Anything else read into the remarks they make is foolish.
Yes, they are "script readers". However, they believe what they read, and the listeners believe what they hear. media is like a giant game of "telephone" and dis info happens many times. it is not only needed to hear the script as to know the plans of the elite, you must listen. reading into it is the only way to ascertain their plan. I remember I was on Luke Rodowski's blog last year and someone exclaimed "BS Bernanke is on 60 mins!" I was excited too, as I have to hear their lies! on the flip side, someone quipped, "All he says are lies. Watching him speak is not worth my time." I understand this, as I wish everyday I could completely unplug from the matrix and live out my days on a sunny hill away from the toxicity of monie and others' thoughts of self grandeur. however, due to my position and duties in the world, I am not comfortable with this jump yet. So, for now, I will deconstruct every damn argument that the oligarchs and their "readers" put before me in hope to defend my country from their plans.
CNBC gets to eat what it sows.
They rah rah Obama
They pay the price...people can only watch a lie for so long
What freakin cnbc are u watching?
Rah Rah Obama??? Who on cnbc is rah rah obama? Kudlow? Neale? Bartistupid?
I guess i missed that...or you are talking out of your bag!
Ever heard of Liesman?
they suck alright, but rah rah obama??
i want some of what you're smoking!
kudlow? neale? bartilame-o?
obviously, obama is your own, personal bogeyman. if they don't call for his impeachment or lynching, i guess they are rah rah.
ken “crooked E” lay? i knew you didn't die from that heart attack you faked.
max keiser is making a documentary where he searches paraguay for "cooked" lay. "Where's Kenny Boy?"
- paraguay...isn't GWB living there now?
right,
kudlow, cabrera, haines, kernan, those douches on fast money, kneale, cramer....yeah, they really are all rah rah.
you cannot. be serious.
apparently. a lot more people here watch CNBC than...
I read somewhere that Gasparino is a closet cocain head. Is that true?
No, Chaz is a booze hound. His exploits at Elaine's are the stuff of legend. It's Dylan Ratigan that is the (recovering?) KO head. DR developed the dirty habit working crazy hours for Bloomberg TV.
Larry Kudlow lost his gig at Bear because of the nose candy.
As Lincoln once said of Grant: "Send a case of whatever he's drinking to all my other correspondents in the field..."
I don't know about that, but he is a fucking lush.
Charlie Gasparino is not a drug/alcohol abuser.. Having a martini now and then with his friends at Elaine's is so ok...Now if you have to shill on CNBC, would you drink or abuse drugs??? lol
I am delighted he went to Fox, where he will be allowed to report the truth!!! Yay
Because nothing says truth like Faux News Channel!
LMAO!!!
You cannot be serious...
LYAO all you want and continue to watch those GE Shills...Faux News Rules...all the networks..just look at the ratings...lol
Geopol, thanks for the Stargate Studio YouTube piece. Makes you think if anything is real???
My concern about those charts is that CNBC's ratings seem to be a leading indicator.
Is CNBC making the news instead of reporting it?
Well, the charts are of moving averages of the vix. So, the vix has to tank big for the moving average to change. The vix tanks, THEN the moving averages change because of the previous tank in the vix.
So in other words, people were watching before the moving average changed, or on the days that the vix went bonkers.
Where is robot trader when you need him? He understands stock market investor - porn, (see Wikipedia; Rachel Ray, and food porn) as the media business model here, and that's where it gets sticky, because here business comments on itself, like Walter Cronkite telling you what kind of day he (wished he had). But if their ratings depend on the VIX don't tell Jack Welch or he'll personally trash the market, or maybe convince GOldman Sachs to take a huge positions in VIX options.
The stock market is like watching paint dry most days, do you need a cheerleader for that? But I think Mr Market has pretty well taken care of the retired stock punter in his slippers, hitting the buy button on E trade. So who is watching? Remember most of these programs are bundled to the cable outlets, where the viewer has almost no choice, we no longer have the Bloomberg channel, which is decent.
Anything dealing with the NBC (No Blacks Channel) family is automatically "counter" intelligence.
Racist.
NBC had all the black shows when I was a kid. They had the Cosby show, and the Fresh Prince, and that one with the Dwayne Wayne guy...
It's not fair to say that they're anti-black, because they had all those black shows.
Needs more sweater puppies.
Yup. Liz had some real "high beam" moments. Unfortunately hee haw (CNBS) would often block access with some kind of screen popup.
Where there is smoke ...there is fire....
Where there are advertising dollars and cronies....there is slanted journalism versus the masses for the few with the crony dough....
I am so proud of Zero Hedge...
But be thankful that the ZH home base is not in China...
As some would not be around....
Go USA journalism....where the truth just might filter to the surface....no matter whom it is about....
Question everything....
Continue to strive for fair markets....and better markets....
CNBS might be tempted to bring in Jeff Macke for some riot TV.
CNBC always has a core constituency of discount brokerages, wirehouses to some degree, banks and credit unions to pump up ratings even if no one is watching. Think about it. If you were a credit union manager in Salt Lick, you might want to appear more business friendly by having the CNBC idiot box running on mute in the background.
Nielsen Ratings don't measure the number of people that are influenced by CNBC or actively watch the channel. That number would be scraping bottom.
Welcome back my friends to the show that never ends. We're so glad you could attend, come inside, come inside.
There behind the glass is a real fucking ass. By careful as you pass, he's got gas, he's got gas.
Thanks to CNBC putting Cramer and Fast money on at noon and 12:30 est, I discovered Bloomberg and FBN. I don't know who is running CNBC, but he/she does not have his/her finger on the pulse of the investor.
Full disclosure: I do own the ZH swag referring to CNBC.
+1 Crammer + Dirt Bag Dennis Kneale = vomit lunch
Oh benevolent Fortuna! It looks as though you have found an upcycle in the midst of a larger downward cycle..
Ok, that was funny. thanks.
Without CNBC, where would I be able to get my nightly fix of curling?
Damn u-verse doesn't give us FBN.
Whatever, I've lost all respect for Tiger at this point. Play ball and stand the other stuff like a man you sorry putz.
What a discraceful, sappy, too-much-information loaded display of wussiness that was. Paleeze. How about a nice rendition of "Fly On Lesbian Seagull" too? If you're going to take the money for the family-friendly consumer products you have to play the part. Is that a surprise?
Hopefully this ploy backfires on the sponsors and most people won't be herded back into buying consumer products simply by being given a peek into the sordid social lives of rich people.
I hope the shiny new, "news driven" quant models in evidence the other day all got burned on this one too.
Bring over Santelli, yes, now that would make news. He is the only one I every turn off the mute button for. He might miss replying to the idiot commentators on cnbc. That would be a coup for Fox.
I second turning off the "mute" button for Rick. I have CNBC running in the corner of one of my monitors. I now have a sixth sense for when Rick is on and always want to hear what he has to say. Everyone else, including the commander in chief puppet himself (Obama) remains muted to my immense personal satisfaction.
what is the difference at faux news? same game different name.
we report, you decide....yeh sure......
who is rupert murdoch? faux news is just another side to the same coin.
The problem with Santelli going to Fox is he needs a foil which he had with Liesman before they shut them up completely. Kind of like Packer/McGuire and Cosell/Meredith. Wasn't the same when they split them up.
Investigative journalism died when large corporations began buying up the media. Now "journalism" is controlled by the marketing departments of the corporations and "investigations" are taken (and repeated) from the newswires.
Actually the major media outlets are personality cults, Welch, and Murdoch being the most prominent. Over at Forbes you have a card carrying Neo-con, who was telling his readers not to invest in California Stem Cell Research companies, while they decided to break with the Bush policy at the time. You can't separate the editorial page from the news page, and whenever that relationship exists, there is more than the decision of some corporate board involved in the content.
I wonder if NBC, since it is owned by GE, will break the story about its own demise...just wondering.
I haven't watched their financial news in a long time and I have to say I feel less irritated.
the tv has become such a wasteland that Chaz Douchebagarino is big news ? At least they retained Michele Cabruso Careira's t*tties. I expect for a ratings pickup another Becky does Uncle Warren special coming. Becky can invite the Proctor & Gamble dude Lafley and they can help Uncle Warren change his depends as BK gets downgraded again
hahaha, becky does uncle warren. LMMFAO
sorry wrong article... Cant delete my comment?
at troubled bank NBC parent GE)
Marla...you always make my day....that string of words is just too good! thank you.
I hope no one honestly believes Fox News is decent reporting...and now let the stupidity pendulum swing the other way.
So Charlie "Gas-Bag" goes to Faux Business Channel...where will I get those shameless plugs that Charlie always gave to NY restaurants that fed him? These plugs were such an obvious way for the guy to get free meals. Did it really add anything to his stories by saying where he had dinner the night before? I guess you could say that the restaurant plug was the only thing factual in most of the Gas-Bag's stories.
Charlie had the pom-poms out like everyone else at CNBC when the market was in a frenzy. I won't miss Mr Gas-Bag. He rarely had anything of value to say.
i would looooove to hear larry kudlow, on an eightball, discuss monetary policy. why cant we do pay per view to get real news. Throw Faber, Taleb and Santelli on there too.
santelli would have nothing to add to the conversation, I talk to him daily, he ain't that bright...moron comes to mind actually
Boy, for a bunch a folks who don't like CNBC and Fox you sure know a heck of a lot more about them than I do.
add to that water-wings: "we can consciously explain to ourselves that viewed images may not be real we subconsciously cannot."
and the world makes so much more sense :^)
SP500 / DOW / COPPER counter trend rally looks over.
http://www.zerohedge.com/forum/market-outlook-0
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