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September 27, 2005

Melissa Francis is a good role model, Tues., Sept. 27, 2005, 8:27 AM

CNBC is developing its general assignment reporter Melissa Francis into an anchor spot, and I couldn't be happier for the audience. Compared to many of her colleagues, this woman is a breath of fresh air.

In my view, CNBC has, for much too long, been a cheerleader for America and its politicians. Right from its beginnings as Financial News Network, which, NBC purchased for something like $5 million, CNBC has been a marketing tool for any big bucks promoter willing to pay for the opportunity. That's fine if this NBC cable network described itself as such, but it holds itself out as a news network.

If CNBC really wants to meet the news and information needs of the marketplace, it ought to focus its production around staff or consultants like Melissa Francis, Michelle Caruso-Carera, David Faber, Maya Kulycky, Melissa Lee, Dylan Ratigan, Rick Santelli, Bill Seidman, Jane Wells, and one or two others. The rest either should be shown the door or spun off as independent productions for nights and weekends.

My complaint is not with the people themselves " they are all rather skilled " but it's with the media, and in this case, the medium is the message". The message is Buy our stories" instead of learn enough to be able to properly direct your own financial affairs.

The people I did not mention seem to either to be part of that agenda or have accepted it because entertainment works well with their personal style.

Maria Bartiromo, Liz Claman and Ron Insana, for example, ought to be packaged in independent weekend productions, perhaps by Donny Deutsche himself, because they are knowledgeable and articulate. Cramer and Kudlow should certainly be independent.

Anybody who has watched CBNC World productions from London, Singapore and Hong Kong, or Bloomberg TV or ROBTV, would have no difficulty observing the difference between excellent reporting and commentary from those sources versus the constant spin and hype from CNBC USA.

I could write a book about CNBC " and one day I might -- if I could manage to stay on point, which in this case was that I find Melissa Francis to be an exceptional talent.

Posted by Posted by Bill Cara on September 27, 2005 08:27:43 AM | Category: Yada yada