“How Do We Solve A Problem Like Maria?”

On Tuesday I asked: “Now that Mark Hoffman has toyed with the 4 to 10am block on CNBC, what’s going to happen to the rest of the business day?”

A network insider answers: “The entire CNBC daytime lineup after 10am is being held up by Maria Bartiromo. She has made absurd demands and management is not giving in. She was to have done the 9-11am slot. But then she demanded drivers, limos, hairdressers…real diva stuff. Management told her to stuff it… and so for now the rest of the day stays put while they figure out ‘how do we solve a problem like Maria?'”

> Nov. 22: Bartiromo “remains at the center of whatever schedule finally evolves” for CNBC, several tipsters say…

> Update: 9:56am: A tipster adds: “Maria Bartiromo’s CNBC contract has always stated that she gets at least one solo hour during market hours (9:30a – 4p) which is why she always did the 3-4p hour herself. But Maria is not only keeping the sched in limbo, she is keeping the movement of producers in flux.”