CNBC Shifts Programming Away from Stock Market

The New York Times

Here’s something you don’t expect to see on CNBC: episodes of “Biography,” the former A&E series about people and companies. But “Biography” is the latest addition to the business news network’s schedule as it tries to increase its prime-time audience.

For a decade the “Biography” series had its own home, a spinoff of A&E called the Biography Channel, or “Bio.” for short. CNBC is recycling some business-themed episodes of the series, including those about the McDonald’s founder Ray Kroc and the ice cream company Ben & Jerry’s, as part of a larger emphasis on documentary-style programming.

For CNBC, the evening hours have been a dilemma for years. Its executives are fond of saying that its prime time is really the daytime, during the trading day in the United States. So what should the channel be after the trading day? It has fitfully tried talk shows and personal finance programs, but it seems to have settled on documentaries as the most effective option. More…

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