Jim Cramer Headed To CNBC's New Website?

Is CNBC planning to use Jim Cramer to build traffic and revenue for its new Web site?

Makes sense to me after learning this morning that the Booyah-meister is ending his "Mad Money" radio distribution deal with Westwood One (WON) by the end of the year.

CNBC says its new Web site, to be launched Dec. 4, will offer a "revolutionary financial news experience" including live events and video on demand.  One report said the site may include a $10/month option giving access to CNBC's three channels: US, Asia, and Europe. 

Why not some Cramer, too? He's the Howard Stern of business news.  Stern’s signing with Sirius (SIRI) boosted subscriptions.  Cramer's the same kind of act.  Outlandish and extreme, with an enthusiastic audience. 

If I were in the programming meeting at CNBC, I'd want to have Cramer on the site.  Remember Dan Dorfman on CNBC in the mid-90s?  His stock picks drove viewership before his appearances and trading volume after it. Cramer on CNBC.com would be sure to pull people through the tollgates.

A call for comment from CNBC has  not yet been returned.

Every person who's been doing video on the Web has hoped to find "the Internet's Milton Berle," the talent who would drive revenue and viewers for Web video the same way Berle did with TV set sales almost 50 years ago.

Some, like me, suggested three years ago it might be Amanda Congdon at Rocketboom. Maybe the CNBC planners think their version is Jim Cramer.  And if they do, we can expect TV-created personalities like dog trainers, left-handed chefs, and daytime talk show hosts to be lured to Web channels, too.

Now, of course, I could be wrong. Again. Word Cramer's ending his deal with Westwood doesn’t mean we won't hear soon that he's going to keep doing the show, but with a new distributor.  After all, there are dozens or hundreds of radio stations out there who would like to know whether they'll have Cramer or test tone in January.  The last time, when Clear Channel's (CCU) syndication unit announced Cramer was leaving, Westwood said it was picking up the show.  A new option could be the ABC Radio Network (DIS), the syndicator of Sean Hannity.

Paul Douglas Boyer, who produces the "MadMoneyMachine.com" podcast, is happy Cramer's ending the radio show. "Thank the gods. I was worried about the man doing too much," Boyer said, adding, "Maybe he'll take the time to retool Mad Money into a more helpful investing show. Wishful thinking!"

Disclaimer: I own shares of Walt Disney and Sirius.

Comments

[Michael Eis...:]

And what about Cramer's affiliation with TheStreet.com?

2006 Nov 28 03:13 PM