CNBC.com has put up a Valentine’s Day related section. They’re calling it “Love & Money”…

It’s a figure that could make your heart skip a beat. Americans are expected to spend $17.02 billion this year on Valentine’s Day. And CNBC.com has designed a special section devoted to Valentine’s Day, “Love & Money.”

Go to CNBC.com and click onto the CNBC Highlights section and the “Love & Money” icon.

One of the highlights is an opportunity for individuals to send Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke a special Valentine’s Day card through Jim Cramer, host of CNBC’s “Mad Money w/Jim Cramer” (Monday-Friday, 6-7 PM ET and rebroadcast at 11 PM ET weeknights). Cramer, a vocal critic of Bernanke, gets you started with a card that reads:
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Here’s a list of the top 25 primetime programs on CNBC for the past five years as ranked by P2+
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Waren Buffett phoned in to CNBC this morning during Sqawk Box regarding an offer he made to insurers Ambac, MBIA, and FGIC. CNBC.com’s Warren Buffett Watch’s Alex Crippen has the story…

In a live telephone call to Squawk Box just a few minutes ago, Buffett offered to reinsure $800 billion in municipal bonds now insured by Ambac, MBIA and FGIC, effectively giving them a AAA credit rating.

Those insurers are in danger of losing their AAA credit ratings due to problems with subprime mortgages and other loans.

Buffett tells us he sent that offer to the bond insurers last week, and that he’s giving them 30 days to find a better deal.

Buffett says one bond insurer turned him down, and he hasn’t yet heard from the other two. Buffett wouldn’t say which company turned him down. He said he didn’t think regulators could do much to force the bond insurers to accept his offer, unless they took over the companies themselves.

Newsday’s Neil Best writes about CNBC’s “Swoosh! Inside Nike” special airing tomorrow night…

Tuesday night, the network debuts his most ambitious project to date, a documentary called “Swoosh! Inside Nike,” for which he traveled more than 20,000 miles in December and January.

That includes a visit to Vietnam to observe Nike factories, where conditions have improved in recent years but where problems inherent in third-world production remain.

Rovell’s lineup of interview subjects is impressive, including Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods, LeBron James and co-founder Phil Knight, who rarely grants interviews.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average will be making its first change to the average in four years. It was announced today that the DJIA will be dropping Honeywell and Altria from the index and adding Chevron and Bank of America. FBN broke the news of this at 9:05:18 am ET with Alexis Glick reporting the story. Glick brought in the Managing Editor of the Wall Street Journal, Marcus Brauchli to discuss the story.

CNBC broke the news at virtually the same time (9:05:25 am) during Squawk on the Street with Mark Haines and Erin Burnett, who interviewed John Prestbo, Dow Jones’ Indexes Editor & Executive Director a minute after they reported it.

CNBC announced it will air the latest of its “Millionaire Inside” series on February 14th at 9pm ET. This special is on eliminating debt…

Money is one of the leading causes of divorce in America. On Thursday, February 14th at 9PM and 12AM ET, CNBC, First in Business Worldwide, presents “The Millionaire Inside: ‘Til Debt Do Us Part,” a couples guide to eliminating debt and getting on the road to a wealthy partnership.

The one-hour CNBC special event, hosted by CNBC’s Erin Burnett in front of a live studio audience, examines how a couple’s finances directly impacts their marriage and, more importantly, arms them with the tools and actionable strategies to wipe out debt and commit to investing in their financial future together.
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The Star Journal’s Brian Feldt writes about The Big Idea with Donny Deutsch coming to Peoria…(via Talking Biz News)

The popular CNBC show “The Big Idea with Donny Deutsch” will be in Peoria today to shoot a new segment called “Will It Play in Peoria?” The segment will be part of a series called “Minutes to Millions: Would You Buy It?” Viewers will be encouraged to vote on whether or not the new ideas could be turned into million-dollar products.

The segment plays on the fact that Peoria has long been considered one of the best test markets in the country, made popular by the slogan “Will it Play in Peoria?”

“It goes beyond business,” Deutsch said. “It’s an iconic saying, part of our pop culture. Whenever anyone wants to question the potential of a big idea, they say, ‘Will it play in Peoria?’”

Mike Huckabee was Jim Cramer’s guest on Mad Money this evening. One of the subjects was who exactly created Mike Huckabee…

Jim Cramer: First, I’ve got to ask, because it’s in the New York Times. There are two people who are claiming creation of you. And one of them is a guy from another network, so I know it can’t be him, Steven Clobert. But we have a guy, Conan O’Brien, who seems to say that he created you. Could you solve that for us before we get to the issues.

Mike Huckabee: You know the truth is, let’s let it out of the bag. It was Jim Cramer who created me, and we just have to be honest about it and let the world know.

Jim Cramer: I have been waiting and waiting for that recognition and I didn’t know it would come right from you, right here on the show. Thank you.

Mike Huckabee: You’re welcome.

CNBC tonight presented a two-hour special, “Your Money, Your Vote,” anchored by CNBC’s Larry Kudlow, host of “Kudlow & Company,” and included reports on the primaries from CNBC Chief Washington correspondent John Harwood and CNBC’s Carl Quintanilla , co-anchor of “Squawk Box.” CNBC reported the results of the primaries through the filter that CNBC’s business audience cares about the most: the economy.

Silicon Alley Insider’s Sarah Lacey thinks CNBC’s talking about Hillary Clinton having the edge in Silicon Valley is rubbish.

Eight of my Facebook friends have posted the “Yes We Can” video. (www.dipdive.com). And Twitter — the barometer of Valley cool — is overrun with people who want everyone to know they’ve got a crush on Obama. (See for yourself: Here’s a Google map showing real time super Tuesday twitters around the country– pretty cool!)

Several VCs have told me they “can’t wait” for the general election because they’ve already capped out on primary donations to Obama. He’s the new Tesla, the new iPhone, the new accessory. Or better put, he’s the new Bill Clinton.

I don’t know who CNBC is talking to–maybe some folks in Sacramento or Bakersfield–but here in the land of the digerati, it’s a one candidate race. And his name’s Obama.

1440 Wall Street blogs about Jeff Zucker, recessions, and CNBC’s ratings.

A recesssion might be the least of Jeff Zucker’s problems. With Murdoch’s digital business media efforts likely to gel in the year ahead, Zucker and CNBC will soon have the wind in their face.

And if teaming up with Pinch is the best they can manage, even the fair weather bloggers and talking heads who have been in bed with CNBC might begin to jump ship.

This battle will soon begin to unfold on internet time. Is Zucker equal to the task?

Silicon Alley Insider’s Michael Learmonth writes about CNBC’s ratings…

But the numbers were a mixed picture. In total viewers, CNBC was up 28% in January (302,000) from a year ago (236,000). But CNBC’s advertisers only care about the 25-54 demographic, and in that demo CNBC was down double-digits across the board, which hits the network’s bottom line.

The theory that market turmoil brings viewers has a flipside: depressed investors turn off the coverage when things get bad. Another theory: Political coverage could be siphoning off CNBC’s adult viewers. We’ll look at FNC, CNN and MSNBC numbers for January to see if that could be the case.

…goes to this one by Henry Blodget on Silicon Alley Insider…

NBC’s Zucker: Fox Business News Irrelevant. CNBC Ratings Rock

I saw that and thought…oh what did Zucker say now that will come back to hurt CNBC? FBN is still dining on that “not concerned” public stance from before it launched. But I’m sure it wouldn’t turn down another free lunch if it were presented one.

It turns out however that the headline rather overstates things. Jeff Zucker was talking in very reserved fashion about any ratings impact to CNBC since FBN launched. He wasn’t antagonistic and didn’t even discuss the relevancy of CNBC’s competition. So I’m sort of at a loss to understand how Blodget gets from what Zucker actually said to “Fox Business News Irrelevent…”

CNBC announced it will air a live two hour Super Tuesday special tomorrow night from 7-9pm ET…

CNBC, First in Business Worldwide, will broadcast a two-hour, live Super Tuesday special, “Your Money, Your Vote,” on Tuesday, February 5th (7 PM-9 PM ET) when voters in 24 states go to the polls to vote in the 2008 Presidential primaries.

“Your Money, Your Vote,” anchored by CNBC’s Larry Kudlow, will provide expert analysis on the economic and political issues viewers need to know from Wall Street to Main Street to Washington, DC. The program will also include late-breaking exit polls and early returns from states where polls have closed as well as coverage from CNBC and NBC News correspondents across the country in key Super Tuesday states. CNBC’s Chief Washington Correspondent John Harwood will provide in-depth analysis of the issues that affect the economy, the markets and viewers’ pocketbooks.
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Page Six relishes speculating about a wardrobe change at CNBC…

THE suits at CNBC are said to be so worried about their blonde Fox Business Network competition that they’ve brought in a new wardrobe stylist to re-dress their anchorbabes, an inside source reports. Gone are the business suits that on-air cuties Becky Quick, Erin Burnett and Michelle Caruso-Cabrera used to wear. “All of a sudden, they wear nothing but form-fitting V-necks in bright colors and they’ve gotten all new clothes,” said our source. “Pants are no longer relevant.” A CNBC rep said, “Not true. No wardrobe change.”

Broadcasting & Cable’s Ben Grossman writes about the CNN Democratic debate in LA…

Nobody was happier to see John Edwards drop out of the presidential race last week than CNN. That’s because it set up what many Americans—and CNN—wanted to see last Thursday: a one-on-one debate between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama.

And while the debate didn’t turn into the slugfest many expected, it set the stage for a riveting Super Tuesday matchup between the top Democratic candidates.

No one had a better seat for the historic proceedings in Los Angeles than CNN anchor Wolf Blitzer. In a manic six-hour stretch, Blitzer anchored a live show from what looked like a rock-concert setting outside the Kodak Theatre, then moderated the head-to-head debate, with barely an hour in between to catch his breath.

It was the fifth debate Blitzer has moderated this campaign season. But he and everyone at CNN could feel this was different.

“This is Ali-Frazier, baby,” CNN’s John King told me excitedly two hours before the debate, hitting his fists together as he referred to the legendary 1971 heavyweight title bout.

CNBC has already put up a special page on CNBC.com for the Microsoft attempted aquisition of Yahoo! which contains a round up of everything that’s happened today…and a lot of video clips of CNBC broadcasts.

Reuters’ Jennifer Coogan writes about the market taking a tumble after CNBC’s Charles Gasparino made a comment. (via Talking Biz News)

On Wednesday, the three major U.S. benchmark indexes had each been up by more than 1 percent after the Federal Reserve cut the fed funds rate by a half percentage point at 2:15 p.m.

Then, shares of Ambac and MBI tumbled abruptly at around 3:10 p.m. when CNBC On-Air-Editor Charles Gasparino made his comments about the companies. Major indexes quickly followed suit.

“My gut is telling me Moody’s and S&P are going to downgrade either one or both,” Gasparino said on air. CNBC later posted a report on its Web site saying the network had learned that the downgrade could come as early as Wednesday. The report cited no sources for the information.
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Silicon Alley Insider’s Michael Learmonth writes about FBN Executive Vice President Kevin Magee’s comments on the WSJ/CNBC deal and the “loopholes” therein…

Magee, speaking at the Always On conference yesterday, didn’t go into details about FBN’s plans to use WSJ staff. But he did lay out his case: “There are some restrictions. We can’t just go ahead and use anything. I believe the restrictions involve regularly-scheduled, branded segments. There is a carve-out for non-business news and there is a carve-out for breaking news.”

If this should sound familiar to ICN readers it’s because this was already chronicled back in January when Magee gave an interview to the Boston Globe and said pretty much the same thing…

The Motley Fool’s Rich Smith notes Geri Willis’ appearance on The Daily Show and then accuses Willis and Stewart of misinterpreting something that Jeff Macke said on Fast Money…

The real irony here is that Stewart actually managed to prove his point, albeit accidentally. Despite having hours, perhaps days, to parse “bald guy’s” statement, he ultimately came up with gibberish. That’s probably forgivable in a comedy host, but I’m amazed that CNN’s “Personal Finance Editor” could listen to the same statement — twice! — and still wind up getting it 100% wrong.

Kind of makes you wonder whether the talking heads on TV are a case of the blind leading the 20/20-sighted. But it does give us a pretty clear answer to Stewart’s question: Can these networks help us understand what’s going on with the economy?

Answer: Nope. Not if they can’t figure it out themselves.

Update: This incident was brought up Monday on Fast Money…
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Here is a chart showing CNBC programming from 9am - 7pm was down in the 25-54 Demo year to year in January.
(numbers are Live)
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CNBC announced that it will premiere “Swoosh! Inside Nike,” on Tuesday, February 12th at 10pm ET…

“Swoosh! Inside Nike,” the latest in-depth documentary from CNBC, First in Business Worldwide, is the most comprehensive television examination to date on Nike, the world’s largest shoe and apparel company. The one-hour documentary, reported by CNBC sports business reporter Darren Rovell premieres on Tuesday, February 12th at 10PM & 1AM ET and gives viewers unprecedented access to a major public company.

CNBC presents the major figures in the world of Nike-co-founder Phil Knight, Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods, LeBron James, Charles Barkley and others-each giving their personal views of how Nike has climbed to its preeminent position.
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CNBC’s release on its January daytime numbers…

CNBC’s Business Day (5 AM-7 PM ET) in January 2008 is up 28% in total viewers for the month (302,000) over last January (236,000). This marks CNBC’s best month in Business Day in total viewers since September 2001 (excluding Olympic programming) and makes CNBC the fastest growing cable news network in total viewers since last January.

As always, it is important to note that this reflects only measured ratings. The majority of CNBC’s affluent and well-educated audience isn’t counted by Nielsen Media Research because it neither measures out-of-home viewing nor affluent homes. Much of CNBC’s viewing takes place out of home and in places such as C-suites, executive offices, trading floors, offices, restaurants, health clubs and other locations.
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Having your competition on the air behind you while you’re giving an interview. It’s a little blurry from this sub par grab but that’s Stuart Varney behind Dennis Kneale…
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Maria Bartiromo is in Paris today and has been reporting on Squawk Box this morning from outside where the 31-year-old alleged rouge trader, Jerome Kerviel, is being held for questioning.

Update: CNBC will air a half hour special today at 4:30 pm called “French Connection” on the latest details on the story. Bartiromo will also have an exclusive interview with Frenc finance minister Christine LeGarde.

Silicon Alley Insider’s Henry Blodgett saw the incident…

It was scripted, though. As we recall, the line went something like this:

“Apple was the It stock of 2007 and now it’s the Sh*…..t stock of 2008.” That’s just how she read it–with a wince and a wink and a smile. (While wearing a leather suit, no less).

Update: Hot Air has the video…

The Horse’s Mouth’s Greg Sargent blogs about James Carville and Paul Begala being kept off the political analysis beat on CNN until the primaries are resolved.

Okay, this is interesting. I’ve just learned that CNN has told top Dem strategists James Carville, Paul Begala, and Robert Zimmerman — who are CNN mainstays but are all Hillary supporters — that they will not be doing any more political analysis on the network until the Democratic primary has reached a conclusion.

I’m also told that this move came after the Obama campaign repeatedly complained to high level officials at CNN about the presence of Carville and Begala on the network.

Sargent has confirmation from both Carville and CNN’s Political Director Sam Feist that Carville and Begala are off the political analysis beat for now…

CNBC announced that the new season of its American Greed series will begin next Wednesday, January 30th, at 9pm ET…

Everybody wants to be rich, but some people will stop at nothing…..

The series that examines the dark side of the American dream is back for another season on Wednesday, January 30th at 9PM & 12AM ET. CNBC’s unprecedented original primetime series, “American Greed,” focuses on how greed change’s people’s lives and proves people will do anything for money.

The season premiere of “American Greed” exposes the story of Martin Frankel, a self-taught stockbroker and con man who refers to himself as a “financial genius.” Money laundering, prostitution and drug abuse, Frankel’s crimes left a trail of financial fraud, empty bank accounts…and death.
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Page Six gleefully writes about an incident involving Erin Burnett…

ERIN Burnett has a potty mouth. The CNBC hottie reported Wednesday that Apple shares were down, and noted, “It was the It Stock of ‘07, and it is apparently the s - - t stock of 2008.” CNBC flack Brian Steel later insisted to Page Six: “It was a scripted play on words - not an expletive.” It’s the second embarrassment for Burnett in three months. Back in November, she was forced to apologize after calling President Bush a “monkey.”

CNBC’s Maria Bartiromo writes about Davos in Business Week…

As the snow flew in Davos, the fur was flying on exchanges all around the globe. Fears of a U.S. recession set off a wave of selling that sent the Dow below 12,000, although by press time on Jan. 23 global markets were settling down and recouping losses. To gauge reactions across the business spectrum, I talked with the managers of two massive pension funds in the U.S., Christopher J. Ailman of CalSTRS and Russell Read of CalPERS; General Mills (GIS) CEO Kendall J. Powell; Barclays (BCS) President Robert E. Diamond Jr.; and Glenn Hutchins, co-CEO of private equity firm Silver Lake. Everyone but Ailman and Read were at the World Economic Forum, where the luminaries ranged from Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to News Corp. Chairman Rupert Murdoch. But most eyes were glued to the news happening far from the frosty Swiss Alps.

TV Decoder’s Brian Stelter writes about CNBC’s business day ratings on Tuesday…

As the stock market fell on Tuesday, CNBC received its highest viewership in six years.

The business news network drew an average of 469,000 viewers between 5 a.m. and 7 p.m. (CNBC’s definition of the “business day”) according to Nielsen Media Research. The channel’s ratings had not risen so high since Sept. 17, 2001, the day the markets opened following 9/11, when 574,000 viewers were watching.

CNBC, which hastens to note that much of its viewing occurs outside of Nielsen’s home measurement area, drew an average of 281,000 viewers during the business day last month.

Here are some additional details…
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CNBC announced that it will be airing “The Millionaire Inside: Debt Makeover” on Tuesday, Jan 29th at 9pm ET…

With recession angst building, housing and mortgage crisis continuing and holiday expenses still looming, many Americans are losing their grip on their financial security. On Tuesday, January 29th at 9PM and 12AM ET, CNBC, First In Business Worldwide, brings you the answers and the experts you need for a different kind of makeover…a debt makeover.

Hosted by CNBC’s Erin Burnett in front of a live studio audience, CNBC presents “The Millionaire Inside: Debt Makeover,” a one-hour special in which CNBC guides viewers through financial distress, tackling the harsh realities and implications of debt and empowering viewers with actionable strategies they need to erase debt from their lives forever.
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CNBC had Maria Bartiromo and Becky Quick in Davos at the World Economic Forum and they interviewed executives today including Sony CEO Howard Stringer, Coca-Cola CEO Neville Isdell, and many others.

TV Decoder’s Brian Stelter blogs about the focus on business news today and the networks that cover it…

The market turmoil will be viewed as the first serious test for Fox Business. One year ago Rupert Murdoch had pledged that the network would be “more business friendly than CNBC.” The channel was introduced amid a market downturn in October.

On Monday, while United States markets were closed for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day and overseas markets posted losses, Fox Business presented live programming while CNBC aired repeats. Curiously, CNBC chose not to simulcast the live coverage from its Asian or European sister networks. “[We were] the only business network that was open for business today,” a Fox host pointedly remarked during the 5 p.m. show “Happy Hour.”

Despite being dark on Monday, CNBC says it has an advantage in its nearly 20 years of experience. “This is not the first time we’ve had a market selloff,” the CNBC anchor Melissa Francis said Tuesday morning. “We’ve been through this before, we’ll get you through it again.”

CNBC will air a two hour special tonight starting at 7pm ET on the market crisis called “The CNBC Edge–Market Survival Guide: Navigating the Global Sell-off”…

A live, two-hour special tonight at 7 PM ET (preempts “Kudlow & Company” at 7 PM ET and the rebroadcast at 8 PM of “Fast Money,” which is broadcast originally at 5 PM ET.)

The special will be anchored by CNBC’s Erin Burnett from CNBC Global Headquarters and Dylan Ratigan from the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. As the markets open around the world, CNBC will provide live coverage from CNBC Asia and also feature reports from CNBC Europe as well as live coverage from the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland with CNBC’s Maria Bartiromo and Becky Quick.
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