The ongoing battle between Jon Stewart and Jim Cramer took an interesting turn Tuesday when NBC Universal CEO Jeff Zucker said that it was absurd for anyone to blame the financial crisis on CNBC.
Speaking at the McGraw-Hill Media Summit, Zucker defended the financial news network saying, "I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve done."
Zucker also stood up for Cramer:
I think Jon Stewart was incredibly unfair to CNBC and to the business media in general. Everybody wants to find a scapegoat. I’m upset that my 401(k) isn’t what it was. But to suggest that CNBC is responsible is absurd. Last year, Jim Cramer was out in front during two days in particular, when he went after Ben Bernanke. He told viewers six months ago to go to cash now. It’s like holding BusinessWeek responsible for Nov. 2007 for suggesting that AIG was the best stock to buy. You can’t look at any singular call that CNBC or Jim Cramer makes. I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve done.
Earlier on Tuesday, Jon Friedman of MarketWatch was far less supportive:
Call it a hunch, but I suspect Stewart's criticism will wind up having far-reaching effects on the dynamics of business-news television. [...]
For its part, CNBC's ratings have declined since Stewart blasted CNBC on his show, as Portfolio.com pointed out on March 13.Jim Cramer's "Mad Money" viewership declined 10% in the 25-to-54 age group, but only 4% among all viewers -- "suggesting that maybe some of those bored college kids who watch Jon Stewart did, in fact, tune in to find out exactly what is the deal with this Jim Cramer character," Portfolio.com noted. Read the Portfolio.com article.
CNBC spokesman Brian Steel said that for the week of March 9, CNBC's "Business Day," the block of programming on CNBC daily from 5 a.m. to 7 p.m., delivered 355,000 total viewers. For the same week last year, "Business Day" had 340,000 total viewers.
—Noel Sheppard is the Associate Editor of NewsBusters. Follow him at Facebook and Twitter.




















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...but I'm not a comedian.
March 18, 2009 - 15:56 ET by Gary Hall..but you do have a clever sense of humor - although my keyboards seem to be lasting longer, recently.. (;~> gary
A 4.6% increase? Hey Noel,
March 18, 2009 - 15:59 ET by SickofLibsA 4.6% increase?
Hey Noel, Tom Blumer would've taken that to six decimal points!
Just kidding, thanks.
Well of course good
March 18, 2009 - 16:04 ET by bigtimerWell of course good ol' Zucker defended Cramer and CNBC.
...as far as the increase in numbers...you don't need to be a rocket scientist to see that the numbers have increased...unless your a lefty and have an agenda.
Noel, I'm glad you brought
March 18, 2009 - 16:12 ET by ThisnThatNoel, I'm glad you brought up that uberliberal Jon Friedman of MarketWatch. He's been on a tear lately regarding Cramer and Stewart -- praising, of course, Stewart in the highest terms possible.
I rarely write in to on-line sites ---- but I frequently do so to Marketwatch. Much of the stuff they produce is downright wrong, and I constantly take them to task over it. And the rest of the stuff is so laced with liberal talking points it makes you want to puke. So yes, if you hadn't pointed this out, I was going to jump in and make a comment myself.
___________________________________
The challenge is to follow a consistent plan despite inconsistent prices - Sarah Palin, State of the State of Alaska speech
Itrs interesting that the
March 18, 2009 - 16:14 ET by jiffypop!
Funny, I was just thinking
March 18, 2009 - 16:17 ET by SickofLibsFunny, I was just thinking the same thing
;)
Wait, I take that back...
March 18, 2009 - 16:19 ET by SickofLibsWait, I take that back... it was
¶
Well yeah but
March 18, 2009 - 22:52 ET by Anniee451Well yeah but
Its interesting that the
March 18, 2009 - 16:14 ET by jiffypopIts interesting that the entire crisis can be nailed down to one television station....yeah right. Its a television show on COMEDY CENTRAL...get over it, they just needed show fillers
Off the Cramer topic, but
March 18, 2009 - 16:22 ET by Chris NormanOff the Cramer topic, but still on CNBC, Mark Haynes this morning had on a Republican analyst and a Democrat analyst to discuss Obama's PR blitz this week. Starting off with the Democratic analyst, who, of course, praised The One's CA swing, he next spoke to the Republican analyst who he sarcastically introduced with "I'm sure you disagree..." At the last second, almost as an afterthought, Haynes next brought in John Harwood, yet another Obama Praiser in the media. Once the GOP guy was done, Haynes started attacking his analysis, comparing Obama's policy to Bush's "no policy". Again, CNBC gangs up on Republican or a conservative: three against one. I used to like Haynes, but now I find he's become a caricature of himself - detached and grumpy. He sometimes acts like he doesn't give a fig about what's going on around him. Plus, he's becoming more openly liberal or, at least, pro-Democrat and anti-Republican. I guess I'll have to stop watching CNBC now - and our local cable company doesn't offer Fox Business Channel - damn...
The "Mainstream" Media: By liberals. For liberals.
Chris... I'm with you
March 18, 2009 - 16:27 ET by bigtimerChris...
I'm with you about Haynes...I can't take a lot of the people on FBN either...I usually just leave the volume down and just watch the stocks market, unless I see a guest I want to hear on.
BT,
March 18, 2009 - 16:31 ET by Indiana JoeI don't watch the markets anymore... too depressing most days. I'm afraid I'd jump out a window.
Since I live in a ranch-house, it would be an empty gesture anyway. ;^)
"Meet the new boss, same as the old boss..." - The Who
Hi IJ... ...an empty
March 18, 2009 - 16:42 ET by bigtimerHi IJ...
...an empty gesture anyway....
LOL...same here!
IJ, Your gesture would
March 18, 2009 - 16:48 ET by Chris NormanIJ,
Your gesture would be less empty if that window overlooks a cactus or rose garden. :)
The "Mainstream" Media: By liberals. For liberals.
Chris,
March 18, 2009 - 17:09 ET by Indiana JoeNope. Just a mostly winter-dead lawn.
;^)
"Meet the new boss, same as the old boss..." - The Who
LOL... ...At least my
March 18, 2009 - 17:19 ET by bigtimerLOL...
...At least my jump out the window would land me in a pile of algoreglobalwarming snow.
Hi bt,
March 18, 2009 - 16:45 ET by Chris NormanHi bt,
I don't know if it's an act or what, but Haynes has taken his grumpy old man schtick to obnoxious levels. He even sometimes behaves like he's either drunk or hung over. It's embarrasing to watch. I actually feel sorry for his co-host sometimes.
BTW, regarding FBC, I find that getting a bunch of financial analysts together produces the same obnoxious cacaphony that you get when a bunch of attornies are on legal shows: they're all a bunch of show offs, each trying to prove that they're the smartest person in the room.
The "Mainstream" Media: By liberals. For liberals.
Bingo Chris! ...and I
March 18, 2009 - 16:49 ET by bigtimerBingo Chris!
...and I have a real hard time listening to blow-hard loud-mouth-know-it-alls...and their are a lot of them on these shows....
Bad enough I listen to Congress...
Same difference for the most part.
Yeah, they all act like
March 18, 2009 - 16:53 ET by Chris NormanYeah, they all act like they know it all - right before something happens that none of them ever predicted. :)
The "Mainstream" Media: By liberals. For liberals.
Stewart seems to want to
March 18, 2009 - 16:28 ET by Indiana JoeStewart seems to want to have it both ways. He'll play serious political/financial/what-have-you pundit. Then, if called on it, suddenly he's "just a comedian."
He was absolutely vicious to Cramer. Then, he shows a clip and makes fun of himself. But you had to see both shows to "get it," I guess. Was he serious in the interview? Or was it just a "bit?" The ability to back-pedal makes it hard to tell.
A good gig, if you can get it.
"Meet the new boss, same as the old boss..." - The Who
Re Both Ways
March 18, 2009 - 16:46 ET by slickwillie2001Here's an excellent article which is more on your 'both ways' point: I Always See the Clown Nose on John Stewart: http://patterico.com/2009/03/14/
Thanks, SW2001,
March 18, 2009 - 17:17 ET by Indiana JoeIt's always nice to have one's analysis validated. He deconstructs Stewart better than I ever could, because I can't watch the guy. I've only seen clips.
<clown nose off>
ROTFL!
"Meet the new boss, same as the old boss..." - The Who
slick w
March 18, 2009 - 17:20 ET by jacktheripperthanks for the link....great discussion
I don't think he was trying
March 18, 2009 - 18:08 ET by balboaI don't think he was trying to "have it both ways" when he showed the clip of himself. I think he was making fun of how emotional he got.
But there is some gray area there that he should be wary of. Colbert doesn't have this problem because the whole thing's a spoof.
Check out slickwillie's
March 19, 2009 - 02:38 ET by Indiana JoeCheck out slickwillie's link, bal. LOTS more examples of the "both ways" thing than I could cite. I only saw the clip of himself about the Cramer incident from the link you provided on another board.
Like I said, I don't watch the guy. But I see the "clown nose on/off" aspect even in the little I've seen.
"Meet the new boss, same as the old boss..." - The Who
Ok, why is Zucker defending
March 18, 2009 - 22:58 ET by Anniee451Ok, why is Zucker defending against something that was never said in the first place? Now I'm just going by the episode on which he had Cramer, because I'm no Stewart fan and I haven't watched that show since its first season (he was way too fond of mocking Christianity, and that was that), but judging from the episode he wasn't "pinning the whole economic downturn" on Cramer. That's ridiculously over the top. (If he said it elsewhere, then I'd like to know.) It was more like this guy is no different from any other scam artist who is part of the problem, and that's accurate. He kept lying and trying to cover his own *ss and it didn't work, not that that makes Stewart any kind of hero.
Meh, two pigs wrestling - who wants to get in the middle? You end up covered in mud either way, and probably raped by pigs.
don't cha... just don't cha love it?
March 19, 2009 - 06:35 ET by AJBI just LOVE it when the liberal media start eating themselves... journalistic cannabalism.
Jon Stewart is to finacial analsysis as Obama is to free enterprise.