Gasparino is a Selling Point???

On a recent trip to NYC I discovered ads in the Metronorth train cars promoting Fox Business News on the ground that they have Charlie Gasparino reporting for them.

Really? That's the selling point? Former CNBC editor Charlie Gasbag has switched over?

Remember Charlie isn't at CNBC anymore largely because he flipped out over the air over the harmless expression., "What have you got?"

During the worst of the 2008 crisis, on the regular late-afternoon program "Closing Bell," anchor Dylan Ratigan introduced CG, obviously under the impression that CG was about to share with him and us some important new datum about a shakeup in the management ranks at Merrill Lynch.

Indeed, the camera than framed Charles' face with the unsubtle words "Mgmt Turmoil Continues at Merrill Lynch" below.

Here's a Youtube vido of the weird exchange.

Anyway, Charles ended up conveying no news at all and wasting a good deal of time on a rather busy news day. "I've got a capitalist system here to cover" as Ratigan said. Wasn't it Gasparino's job to help with that, Dylan?

It is amazing CNBC didn't can his butt at once. But they didn't.

Instead, a couple weeks later, Charlie essentially repeated the whole freak-out.

In 2009, Janet Tavakoli included him in a short list of the most overrated finance reporters around. As between Janet and Charlie, wonder who to trust? Stop wondering: outside of the precincts of Murdochian ass-kissers that would be considered an easy call.

Then in 2010, Charlie went all prima donna on CNBC, complaining that his still-unfired wonderfulness should be more amply compensated.

It wasn't and he hit the road, soon landing at Fiz Biz. Or Fox Box. No, wait, its Fox Biz. Gee, that doesn't rhyme at all. Anyway, as to thiose ads? naaaah. Not really selling me.

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