|
|
|
after on-air rant
Booted 'Wall $treet Week' host rips into producers
Louis Rukesyer has been punished.
He's been kicked off "Wall $treet Week" for lipping off and cracking wise and committing other sins common to commentators of his ilk.
Rukeyser, longtime of of the stock chat show, was to retire when his contract expired at the end of June.
The show's co-producers, Maryland Public Television, have announced that Rukeyser's Friday appearance was his last.
Rukeyser's been axed early because of what producers term a violation of the show's journalistic standards.
Rukeyser is usually chipper on his "Wall $treet Week" show, but on Friday he was in a major snit and instead of tossing his usual puns he blasted the show's producers.
Among other statements, Rukeyser assured viewers that while his top-rated show was being canceled, they could expect to see him soon hosting a similar show.
He told viewers to write to their local public television stations demanding that they air his new show once it is announced.
The host, who founded "Wall $treet Week" 32 years ago, cracked that he had expected to come to work to find the door padlocked, and he termed his surprise axing from the show an ambush.
Rukeyser was still fuming over learning earlier in the week that MPT has secretly cut a deal with Fortune magazine to replace him with Fortune's editorial director, Geoffrey Colvin, in the fall.
The show's producers explained the change was need to keep the show fresh and to attract a younger viewership.
Colvin is a youngish 48.
Rukeyser is a youngish 69.
The axing of Rukeyser has caused something of a stink in TV and media circles since it came to light, both for the way it was handled and for the rationale behind it.
Lou Dobbs, the CNN business anchor who two years ago tangled with his producers before walking out, termed MPT's handling of Rukeyser's dismissal "an extremely ungrateful and graceless act."
But critics also note that the show is a very successful money pump for the network, bringing in some $6 million in sponsorships yearly against costs of some $2 million, and that skewing it younger would pit it against personal investment shows on the far more competitive cable news networks, and without the leverage of Rukeyser's name to distinguish it.
Rukeyser says he is in talks to host another investment show but is declining to name potential partners.
MPT president Robert J. Shuman says Rukeyser committed an ethical break by discussing his contract dispute with MPT with viewers and by promoting his new show on the air.
In response, Rukeyser told The Wall Street Journal, "This is like being instructed in ethics by the Mafia."
March 25, 2002 © 2002 Media Life
Printer-Friendly Version
|
Send
to a Friend
Cover Page |
Contact
Us
