As Bloomberg Adds BusinessWeek, Bloomberg TV Evolves As Well

While the resources are widespread around the world, the American channel’s success is largely an unknown. Like Fox Business Network, Bloomberg TV is not a full service client from Nielsen, and so does not report ratings (and the leaks are tight as well). This makes it difficult to see where Bloomberg TV lies in the broader cable news landscape – and to see how it will improve with the recent changes.

One way Bloomberg does have the upper hand are its terminals, which are an absolute must for all financial occupations. The terminals also make it easier for traders to watch the network, although those eyeballs don’t get counted in the Nielsen ratings. For Liu, it’s a matter of perspective. “All of us will say we’re always watching each other because you always want to be able to keep score,” she said. “But at the same time you’re never going to be able to do your job properly if you don’t focus on what you’re doing.”

It’s a given that Bloomberg TV doesn’t have anywhere near the ratings of CNBC, and is more likely on par with FBN (since each are not publicly rated). But the one area of distinction between the two networks is Bloomberg’s appeal overseas, which the young News Corp. biz net has not had the chance to compete with yet. The international viewers mean the success of the U.S. version of Bloomberg TV is only a small part of the company’s success, and even further, the success of Bloomberg as a whole. There is less riding on an immediate bump in the ratings (which could come from an Imus-like move), and there’s more time for Rhodes and his team to develop into a harder, more business-focused, alternative.

As Rhodes looks toward the future, he tries to focus within the network rather than the competitors in the field: “We just want to put out a compelling television offering, and compelling offerings on other platforms, and build the largest audience we can.”

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