Maria Bartiromo Debuts New Show On Fox Business Network
This morning marked a new beginning to the already noteworthy career of TV journalist Maria Bartiromo. After a 20-year career as the face of CNBC, Bartiromo is now hosting her own morning news show, “Opening Bell with Maria Bartiromo,” on the rival Fox Business Network.
She opened her inaugural show this morning at 9 a.m. after sitting out a 60-day noncomplete clause with her former employer. Rather than stick with the routine that has garnered her top of the chart ratings for over two decades, Bartiromo aims to give a new approach to breaking news, finance, and money with Opening Bell. In an interview with the NY Daily News about her expectations for the show, Bartiromo said, “I want to give people perspective on stories. I want to help them see the bigger picture and think less short-term.”
She started this morning’s show with her take on some breaking news coverage, including Kingdom Holdings Investment Chairman Prince Alwaleed’s plan to invest in Square, Jack Dorsey’s mobile payments company. Following her opening remarks, Bartiromo brought on several noteworthy names, including Dallas Federal Reserve President Richard Fisher, Renault-Nissan Alliance Chairman and CEO Carlos Ghosn, GAMCO CEO Mario Babelli, and House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA).
With 25 years in the business, Bartiromo has identified who her audiences are, what they want to hear, and how to convey her message as times continue to change. “You don’t want to talk over people’s heads, but you also don’t want to dumb it down,” she told the NY Daily News. With her new show on her new network, Bartiromo wants to convey news in a way that informs her audience, industry insiders and ordinary folks alike, in an engaging and understanding way.
Getting Bartiromo from CNBC was a big move for the Fox Business Network, which launched less than seven years ago. “I was at the top of my game at CNBC, but they made me a great offer,” Bartiromo said in an interview, referring to Fox, according to Reuters. Fox Business Network VP Kevin Magee remains confident in Bartiromo’s abilities to increase viewership, saying, “Maria will help us enormously. She’s got great experience, a terrific Rolodex and perspective.”
Along with her two-hour weekly segment, Bartiromo is set to host a new Sunday morning show on Fox News Channel to launch in late March.
