Maria Bartiromo is essentially a CNBC promotional device. In 2006, "she made 46 public appearances on behalf of CNBC," the network says in a statement. The NYT reports:

The CNBC representative said that as the on-air figure most closely associated with the channel, Ms. Bartiromo routinely made promotional appearances at corporate events. Many of the corporations advertise on CNBC. Citigroup is among the biggest advertisers, a CNBC spokesman said. Of the 46 appearances Ms. Bartiromo made in 2006, the CNBC representative said, only three were on behalf of Citigroup. The list of other companies with events at which she appeared last year included Google, Schwab and Dow Jones. In no case was Ms. Bartiromo paid for speaking at the events, the CNBC representative said.

> Also: An unnamed CNBC exec tells Howard Kurtz that "Bartiromo was fostering positive publicity for herself and her network while developing high-level sources among companies she covers." Quoting the exec: "I don't think there's even the appearance of a conflict of interest. We paid our way. This is what we cover. This is what we do."