New York Times and CNBC's bartering agreement makes sense for all involved

So the web is buzzing about CNBC and New York Times' Internet bartering agreement and now this is us adding to the buzz. The deal isn't anything earth shattering as far as scale, It's just two media companies swapping content. It goes back to our earlier post about CNN airing the ABC hosted New Hampshire debates. Is this another sign that big media is becoming more open to swapping content especially in this new digital era? Sure why not. One may have something that the other lacks which seems to be the case with this deal according to Larry Ingrassia, the Times's business news editor. -SDH "They have something we don't have enough of -- video -- and we bring in-depth business reporting," Larry Ingrassia, the Times's business news editor, told Reuters in an interview. You try to make alliances with partners who you think can add value to your report, and to whom you can add value," he said. New York Times and CNBC in Web deal [Reuters

Rupert Murodoch's Fox Business network fell flat in its first months, but that’s normal for a new cable network or something like that

-SDH Would the suits at News Corp say that Fox Business News met their expectations or fell short of them? Rupert Murdoch's invasion of CNBC's turf may not have had the shock and awe we think some at News Corp thought it would. Fox Business News prime time averaged 15,000 viewers in the nine weeks through the week of December 16. Rupert Murdoch says he expects the network to reach 40 million U.S. homes in this year. But we doubt Rupe is worried about it. "The launch of any new cable network in this environment -- the numbers are going to be very small starting out, regardless of whether it's coming from a big media conglomerate or not," said Brad Adgate, senior vice president of research at Horizon Media, who tracks media trends. Fox Business draws few viewers in first months [Reuters]

One of CNBC's first major moves to back off Fox Business News, putting it's content on Yahoo! Finance

We hope the suits at business news network CNBC aren't giddy about their little deal to put their content on Yahoo! Finance. This apparently one of their moves to make sure they stay ahead of the game with Fox Business News being around and all. Yeah you know, this is the same deal a bunch of gossip and media blogs had with Yahoo! about a year ago where their gossipy content was available in Yahoo!'s entertainment section. You guys have to walk with an 800 ft stick to keep FBN at bay, seriously. CNBC to distribute business news on Yahoo Finance [Reuters]

Jeff Immelt urged to take action regarding potential threat from Fox Business Network

-By MARTY You know there must be a serious threat against CNBC by Fox Business News when an open letter that should have been addressed to Jeff Zucker goes over his head and is addressed to his boss at GE Jeff Immelt. In the open letter Immelt is reminded of the things he is that former GE boss Jack Welch wasn't and is reminded that if he doesn't act now it may haunt him. Though there are no available reports on how Rupert Murdoch's new channel is doing, people continue to refer to the ass whipping his Fox News has given CNN over the years predicting that it will happen again with Fox Business News kicking CNBC's ass. Should Jeff Immelt take this open letter seriously and order his media chief Jeff Zucker and his troops into battle? We kinda think so. Because as the saying goes, never bet against Rupert Murdoch. Rescue Memo to Jeff Immelt [Portfilio.com via Yahoo]

FRESH NEWS: No wonder Jeff Zucker isn’t worried about Fox Business News

Jeff Zucker has expressed his lack of concern about Fox Business news gaining on CNBC basically calling Rupert Murdoch's business network a joke. Fresh in our inbox comes a press release about a new animated news segment that will air on FBN’s Happy Hour called "Hoofy and Boo’s News and Views". Is Fox Business News really about entertaining Wall/Main Streeters, unlike CNBC's dead serious business news and information? We don't know. The guys over at FBN seem to be really psyched about this new addition to their line up though. MINYANVILLE’S HOOFY & BOO MAKE TELEVISION DEBUT ON FOX BUSINESS NETWORK New York – Minyanville Publishing and Multimedia (http://www.minyanville.com)/ and Fox Business Network (FBN) today announced that Hoofy and Boo’s News and Views, TV’s first-ever regularly scheduled animated news segment will air each Friday on FBN’s Happy Hour, which is presented daily from 5-6PM (EST). It will also air on the network throughout the week and online at both www.minyanville.com and http://www.foxbusiness.com/. Hoofy and Boo already have a loyal following on Minyanville.com. Representing Wall Street’s iconic Bull and Bear, the animated “Critters” provide an off-beat and humorous look at what’s going on in the world of business. Created by Founder and CEO of Minyanville Publishing and Multimedia Todd Harrison to represent the dynamic trends in the financial marketplace, the comic characters have become synonymous with market activity and entertainment. They will continue to be created and produced by Minyanville’s own team of writers and producers. In making the announcement, Harrison said, “With Hoofy and Boo appearing on Fox Business Network, we are truly bringing Main Street and Wall Street closer together. We are partnering with a leading broadcast entity to deliver entertaining and engaging content across a new medium: an animated news show.” Brian Jones, FBN’s Senior Vice President of Operations added, “Hoofy and Boo’s News and Views are a refreshing addition to our line-up and are in line with Happy Hour's overall aim to bring Main Street to The Street.”Minyanville President Kevin Wassong added, “Hoofy and Boo are quickly becoming the icons of finance. Their voice and perspective on main stream financial issues and topics has been well received on Minyanville.com and we expect them to be just as popular with viewers of Fox Business Network.”

When the Zuck attacks

NBC Universal's little big man, Jeff Zucker has been stepping up his attacks on News Corp's newbie business network saying that the network has had no impact whatsoever. Yeah both NBC Uni and News Corp may be in bed together with their Internet venture Hulu.com but that isn't stopping either side from firing shots at one another. The battle between NBC and Fox ratcheted up Monday when NBC chief Jeff Zucker waved aside Fox Business Network's chances of competing with CNBC, and Fox responded by firing back at Zucker. "We seem to be doing two different things," Zucker told reporters at a breakfast Q&A with the New Yorker's media writer, Ken Auletta. "CNBC is a serious financial news network. From what we've seen from Fox, it's not as investor focused, not as financially focused." Zucker dismissed the financial implications of FBN for NBC. "From a business standpoint it's had no impact," Zucker said of the new News Corp. channel. The Hollywood Reporter could have come up with a better headline though instead of recycling one that has been used by many. Fox Business Network gets Zucker-punched [THR]

Morning Wire: And now this morning's worthy media news

NBC, not wanting to send traffic anyone else's way, quietly killed it's year old Youtube channel as they do finally prepping for the launch of Hulu.com their online video venture with news Corp. [NYP] The New York times recognized a little jump in profits during their third quarter report.[NYT] So if no one really knows for sure how many hits their websites are getting, aren't advertisers being naive? [NYT] Rupert Murdoch has become quite the celebrity [News] Is Fox Business taking away some eyes from CNBC, or are business news fiends going through what we call "The New New Syndrome"? Jeff Zucker we're sure is hoping its the latter [MN]

Jeff Zucker may have nothing to worry about after all...NOT!

Roger Ailes did say that the games have just begun, so maybe we shouldn't jump the gun just yet. But published reports say that the new Fox Business News Network debuted to luke warm reviews. But do the luke warm reviews really matter? Ailes said that info on how many people are actually watching the new network won't be public for about 6 months or even the first year. So regardless of the reviews, could Fox news have had a huge debut as far as viewership, and we won't know until they are made public? "I don't think this will change the entire landscape of American TV as we know it," said Robert Thompson, professor of media and popular culture at Syracuse University. "So far, this morning, it's not been terribly exciting." FBN's move to take Wall Street to Main Street, interspersing business with lifestyle and entertainment spots, underwhelmed media experts who had expected a splashier debut to compete with incumbent cable business news leader CNBC. Perhaps Ailes & Murdoch should have orchestrated a picketing style promo campaign in front of CNBC headquarters or something. Well this is only their second day of broadcasting, but let us not forget that the last business network (CNNfn) that went up against CNBC crashed and burned. Then again Fox News did eventually kick CNN's ass. Fox Business will definitely be using dirty tactics to get at least a big toe up on CNBC, but it will cost them. CNBC has a deal with the Wall Street Journal that runs until 2012. Rupert Murdoch can cut those ties if he writes Jeff Zucker a fat check. NBC will then probably run to the Financial Times. Who knows? Hey Zuck, watch your back! Roger Ailes is trying to sit on you. Fox Business launches to lukewarm review [Reuters]

Is Fox Business already playing dirty?

NBC Universal's CNBC had ads scheduled to run on the front page of Marketwatch.com today. But then out of the blue, the agency what bought the ad space on behalf of CNBC got word from the folks at Marketwatch.com that they won't be able to run the ads after all. Hmmm? Is it a coincidence that, Marketwatch.com is owned by DowJones which is about to be taken over by Rupert Murdoch, whose new business network launches today? Is this the doings of Newscorp? Does Murdoch and company already have their hands in the DowJones pot? If this is the case, then no one should be surprised due to the fact that Fox Business Chairman and long time Murdoch lieutenant Roger Ailes is known for riding dirty! In early September, CNBC negotiated and signed a contract with Dow Jones to buy advertising that was to run today on two Dow Jones Web sites, MarketWatch and The Wall Street Journal site. Last Tuesday night, CNBC’s ad buyers received a call from a Dow Jones representative saying that those ads could not run today, the first day of Fox’s competing channel. In the case of MarketWatch, CNBC had bought both an introduction ad for the site — meaning that every user on the site today would have seen an ad for CNBC before getting to the MarketWatch home page — as well as what is called a “road block” of ads — meaning CNBC would have been the exclusive advertiser on the site’s home page today. Can Fox Win Its Frontal Assault Against CNBC? [NYT]

We have a klaxon from a World War II submarine, one of those, 'Ah-oo-gahs!:Kevin Magee executive vice president Fox Business

Even though he claims he isn't worried about the launch of Rupert Murdoch's Fox Business News network, we don't think Jeff Zucker will sleep peacefully tonight. Hell, he will probably be up waiting for the 2am launch time Monday morning just to get a glimpse at what his CNBC may end up going against hard. We know one things for sure, anyone who is anyone on Wall Street will give Fox Business once over just to see what all the fuss is all about. We know we'll be watching. AMONG Fox News Channel's influences on television news has been the proliferation of the "swoosh," the dramatic sweeping graphics and loud chime that accompany a breaking news bulletin on the cable network.So, as its sister Fox Business Network launches today, what kind of attention-grabbing innovations will News Corp.'s latest cable venture introduce? "We have a klaxon from a World War II submarine, one of those, 'Ah-oo-gahs!' " quipped Kevin Magee, the Fox News executive vice president in charge of the new channel's daily operations. Fox Business Network opens for business [LAT]

Money honey Maria Bartiromo drops $6.5 million on new digs

-NEIL CNBC must be paying Money Honey Maria Bartiromo big bucks to be good friends with corporate big wigs. The CNBC anchor and her husband, Jonathan Steinberg, have paid $6.5 million for a five-bedroom townhouse on Manhattan’s East Side. It sounds like a pretty nice pad too. Wonder what Jeff Zucker's place looks like? Features in the townhouse, which is in Manhattan’s Treadwell Farm area, include four and a half baths, four fireplaces, moldings, hardwood floors, high ceilings, a new kitchen, gas heat, a five-zone central air conditioning system, an ADT security system with two cameras and a flat-screen monitor, new double-windows, an audio system throughout, and all-new mechanicals, according to listing information. Public records show that the townhouse was built in 1899 and measures 3,708 square feet. CNBC’s Maria Bartiromo pays $6.5 million for Manhattan townhouse [BTL]

Questions still linger about CNBC's "CEO Honey"

Apparently we all just want to know if there is more to CNBC anchor Maria Bartiromo's relationships with big shot CEOs. Is she CNBC's secret weapon for coaxing inside news from corporate execs by flirting her way onto their private jets? An article in this morning's New York Times looks deeper into her relationships in Corporate America and gives us a play by play of the whole Todd Thomson thing. November 2005, Citigroup gathered top clients at a lush spa resort in Napa Valley for two days of wine tasting and a chance to road test some of the hottest luxury cars on the market.The test drivers included Todd S. Thomson, then the chief executive of Citigroup’s wealth management arm, car collectors, clients of the bank and Maria Bartiromo, the CNBC anchor and celebrity guest. Questions Grow About a Top CNBC Anchor [NYT]

Its alive: CNBC.com pulls the curtain back on new design

Business news network CNBC finally pulled the curtains back on its new website which is a big change from the confusing and bland look they kept for many years. No one is more excited than CNBC Prexy Mark Hoffman who welcomes us with a message. We're sure the guys at Dealbreaker will be utilizing the new site daily. A message from Mark Hoffman, President CNBC [CNBC]

CNBC blue balls us until December 4th

OK so maybe we are a little too excited about the up coming relaunch of the all new CNBC.com but so are the folks at NBC. The company has been running none stop ads on sister networks plugging the new launch as if it were some new movie from sibling company Universal Pictures. We have been praying for a redesign for over a year and finally Beth Comstock and company answered our prayers. we took a small tour of the new site and we have to say, we will be more frequent than usual when the site launches next Monday. CNBC.com