*CNBC's money honeys

Never mind about the stock market being up more than 200 points - Wall Street's really big story today concerns the supposed displeasure among CNBC's female talent who don't answer to the names Maria "Money Honey" Bartiromo or Erin "Maria 2.0" Burnett. (If you haven't been following this nonsense, Burnett is the younger dish who has the biz and media guys drooling (not only beautiful, but smart, funny, blah, blah, blah...) Now according to the NY Post's Page Six (my usual source for Money Honey news), the financial network's lesser-known reporters and anchors are complaining about all the attention that Maria and Erin have been getting (regular gigs on the "Today" show, limos, gushing quotes from network brass, etc). So what are those other gals - chopped liver? "The catfight that started with Maria being jealous of Erin's rise has spread down the line. Now all of the other female reporters are getting p - - - ed off," the Post quotes its "insider" as saying. The folks at DealBreaker, who have been on CNBC's Diva Watch for quite some time, are skeptical on several fronts. Yet, conspiracy theorists have emerged (well, we are only two days from a holiday weekend).

The first conspiracy theory reading begins like they all do: following the money. We’re sure that executive at the soon-to-arrive Fox Business Channel—which is owned by News Corp, which just happens to own the New York Post—aren’t too broken up about trouble at their rival. Conspiracy minded readers have already started spinning a theory that the story was planted by Fox Business executives hoping to splinter CNBC. That’s a bit implausible, however, since we can’t imagine that anyone could succeed in poaching one of the network’s anchors by dreaming up a fight. A counter-conspiracy theory has also been submitted by readers. This one holds that the entire “cat fight” story line was created by the women of CNBC themselves, hoping to scare better deals out of the network by scaring them into worrying that Fox might poach their top talent. Again, we’re skeptical about this one because, well, it’s way too complex. Too many moving parts. The sisterhood can't be that strong, can it?

*The numbers are in: This probably has a lot more to do with the rollercoaster stock market than the Money Honeys, but CNBC posted its best August numbers in five years. (Crain's NY Business)


More by Mark Lacter:
American-US Air settlement with DOJ includes small tweak at LAX
Socal housing market going nowhere fast
Amazon keeps pushing for faster L.A. delivery
Another rugged quarter for Tribune Co. papers
How does Stanford compete with the big boys?
Those awful infographics that promise to explain and only distort
Best to low-ball today's employment report
Further fallout from airport shootings
Crazy opening for Twitter*
Should Twitter be valued at $18 billion?
Recent stories:
Letter from Down Under: Welcome to the Homogenocene
One last Florida photo
Signs of Saturday: No refund
'I Am Woman,' hear them roar
Bobcat crossing
Previous story: Murdock on health

Next story: Schumer pokes Countrywide

New at LA Observed
On the Media Page
Go to Media

On the Politics Page
Go to Politics
Arts and culture

Sign up for daily email from LA Observed

Enter your email address:

Delivered by FeedBurner


Advertisement
Mark Lacter
Mark Lacter created the LA Biz Observed blog in 2006. He posted until the day before his death on Nov. 13, 2013.
 
Mark Lacter, business writer and editor was 59
The multi-talented Mark Lacter
LA Observed on Twitter and Facebook