Is it just me, or does the new CNBC look come across as well, more of a Football Game than a financial news channel? Maybe I just have to get used to it.
The least user friendly feature is the Futures Bug/Market Indices across the top of the screen — its just very tough to read up there. It was much easier to read when it was smack dab in the bottom right hand corner of the screen (where its always been).
Also, I miss the clock above the bug (same locale); When getting ready for work, its helpful in the early am to know the time. The wife (who does not work on Wall Street) used to tolerate CNBC in the morning — because of the clock — occasionally flip back and forth to CBS, which has a clock on screen all the time. Now, as we are getting, without the CNBC clock there, CBS wins. No clcokc, no CNBC she says — I don’t have a compelling argument for that.
Lastly, I don’t have a terrible problem with the whooshing sound effects that accompany the graphics — yeah, its annoying, but its not that bad. And the charts are a little busy.
But its the location of the futures bug, and most importantly, the clock — even if it cycles thru Tokyo – London – NY — that is the biggest problem with the new format . . .
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UPDATE December 20, 2005 11:43PM
You guys aren’t the only ones complaining —
CNBC Has Received "Tens of Thousands" of Complaints About New Graphics & Noises http://www.mediabistro.com/tvnewser/cnbc/cnbc_has_received_tens_of_thousands_of_complaints_about_new_graphics_noises_29989.asp
Agree 100% with you. Last night I had a first glimpse of the new format and to me it looks more like a radar screen of the starship of a sci-fi movie. I don’t want impressive effects, but practical and clear information. What ever happened to the KISS principle?
Actually, I’d wish they’d go back to the older bug that just had the dow, naz, s&p and time. At least get rid of the weather. Who on earth watches CNBC for the weather?
The sound effects aren’t that bad when you’re activly watching the channel. They are, however, quite distracting when you’ve just got CNBC on as background noise or are listening to the audio in the car.
Actually, I’d wish they’d go back to the older bug that just had the dow, naz, s&p and time. At least get rid of the weather. Who on earth watches CNBC for the weather?
The sound effects aren’t that bad when you’re activly watching the channel. They are, however, quite distracting when you’ve just got CNBC on as background noise or are listening to the audio in the car.
Agree with you, but do like the new tape.
IMHO, this new format is a major distraction. The new noise (“sound effects”) and active graphics take on the appearance of a video game. I hope CNBC returns to more of an adult format.
I didn’t realize they were still on the air.
Terrible change for them. What happened to the old guy in the jacket, Mark Haynes? Drop one old guy, add in another young guy in shirtsleeves and have the chick stand in the middle of the room announcing what’s coming up as the camera swings around in dizzying swoops? That’s the plan for improving the show?
Agree on the stupid sound effects and new bug, too. Apparently they’ve got some kind of “Producers” scheme going where they’re trying to drive viewers away….
The operative word here is “show”. The “content” is just filler for the stream of ads, as with most other commercial channels. If your point is that you want to get good quality real-time information, you have to subscribe to business news services.
New CNBC Ticker Gets F
New Ticker: F (bottom line is cut off, software glitch?)New Charts: F minus (for the rotating 3D movement)Horrific? Unbelievable, but it’s true. I am waiting to see how long CNBC management will keep this ugliness going. 2 days so far. And Barry has more
unbelievable- It looks totally silly – ultra tech graphics – its definitely more NFL than CNBC. I also asked myself – jeez – maybe I am getting old and just hate change — need to get used to it. no no no . this is just silly superfulous pseudo tech stuff that is only a distraction. yeech. CNBC is the WSJ of the tv waves – they need to keep the traditional look for sure!
Sucko. I can’t stand it. Maybe I’ll get used to it and maybe not.
Seems to me this redesign is a preemptive strike by CNBC to stave off any potential advances from a “Fox Business Channel” which is heavily rumored to be in development as a JV between News Corp and Time Warner Cable. The show really looks like Fox’s Sunday football broadcasts as some have mentioned. All we need is Jillian Barberie doing the weather (which I would support by the way) and Homer Simpson in the background saying “mmmmmmm — merger” and this process will be complete.
All that said, it all seems like more of the same. CNBC remains the “white noise” of the trading world.
I hear that Haynes is gone? Is he going to Faux News?
The biggest problem with the new format is that the CNBC idiots didn’t test quality before they went live — I don’t get the full screen on my smaller TV. Other people I’ve spoken to have the same issue.
One of my pet peeves is when people try to fix things that are not broken.
Maybe I’m dead wrong, but there was nothing wrong with the old CNBC format, was there?
The new one, as you said, is hard to read, too psuedo sci fi, and most importantly, distracting.
The most annoying thing they did is put the market averages on top of the screen – the font is nano.
Did you also notice how ugly the new charts are? They have a green NBC logo set as a backdrop – it meshes VERY poorly with the actual chart graphics/grid pattern, etc……
The sounds (like “the CNBC alert”) are just childish.
My guess is that some freshly minted MBA came up with this piece of **** positioning format so he could impress the boss.
Now this kid is probably geting a nice year end bonus and I’m stuck with some Bloomberg/NFL-esque monster.
I am with you Barry. The consistentcy of location, print size and overall readability of the side bug was much better. The oil price, for example, is hard to find and hard to read when you find it.
The good news is that the tape and bugs are running through more of the commercials.
CNBC is infotainment at best . . . except in my more paranoid moments I think it’s a tool Big Money uses to fleece the rubes. Would the Tech Bubble have happened without it?
I’ve heard of that Fox business channel. Their Saturday shows are laughable “Is the stock market patriotic enough?” . . . a whole channel like that?
Oh yeah, and notice the ticker has the names of companies instead of just the symbols? Jeez, if you don’t even know they symbols maybe you should just be in a mutual fund and leave the individual stocks alone.
I find it equally if not more annoying that they now display the entire company names/symbols on the ticker at the bottom of the screen, allowing for way less info to be presented. Those that care know the symbols – those that don’t, don’t need (or care) to know the proper spelling of Schlumberger, for example.
“I hear that Haynes is gone? Is he going to Faux News?”
He and David Faber are on starting at 9AM. They split Squawk Box up into two parts with different casts.
Isn’t new guy Carl Quintanilla (sp?) a regular news guy, mostly?
Fox business news is a joke. I mean, they call their business segment “The Cost Of Freedom”, as if a temporary 2% drop in Wal-Mart stock is the same as your son/dad/husband/self losing life and limb to an IED.
The implication is disgraceful.
Also, yes, I miss the clock. And dislike the silly noises.
And I think it’s silly to have them standing up and talking, and to have Steve Liesman using a flip-chart.
The other day, Liesman was going through a flip chart and tore off too many pages. It was hacktastic.
Joe was trying to do the weatherman thing, gesturing towards diagrams composited in by computer but which didn’t exist for him. And he was not doing terribly well.
Really, this is financial news. Seeing their legs doesn’t really contribute anything.
Hate the new Ticker – If you can’t learn a few symbols then you should rethink investing. What is the purpose of having some info on top and some on the bottom, I spend the whole day trying to scan. Please get rid of the sound effects, we are all adults here.
Comments I emailed to Barry, posted at his suggestion. Would have used more disparaging language now…wrote this a week ago.
*************
Message:
The new format sucks. Looks like they
hired video game designers, who then
copied Bloomberg TV- badly.
The charts are even worse than before
with so many moving parts your eyes
cant track the data, presented at an
angle so there is no perspective.
Plus, there is an annoying ZING sound
when they change, like a really bad ringtone in a meeting.
They obviously did not test
market/focus group anyone.
One more reason for CNBC to stay on
MUTE and ignored – except when you are
on K&C Barry! Regards, Jim
the new layout sucks so much, my head aches, when i try to the top and bottom of the screen at the same time, also they are wasting space with black bars on the top and bottom.
it is less information presented worse.
I was already to get on my treadmill and
check out the stock market instead I see
a couple game show hosts……..nice legs!
“winners ands losers” what happened? Is it
the right channel? Where’s the ticker?
I know there’s a ticker, somewhere but
where? So I search on the internet, I look high, I look low, but it’s a No Show!!!!!!!
Wait a minute, I can look them up one by one
and create a portfolio.
I think the noise with the graphics on CNBC is deplorable. I can not stand to have that station on for even a few seconds. Why on earth don’t they do something about it?