As a proud CNBC alum, I generally agree with Holman Jenkins that the network “conducts itself with an intelligence and intellectual rigor missing from other cable news channels” (“CNN’s Downfall Is a New York Story,” Business World, Feb. 12). Yet I recall that as a young producer there many years ago, my boss considered having me go on dressed up in a Merlin costume to announce each morning’s futures and what it suggested about the market open. I never would have lived that one down, and I was glad the idea died on the vine. But the constant use of flashy graphics, zoom sounds and the rest should remind us that no matter how lofty the mission, elements of entertainment are usually not too far below the surface.
Paul Brandus
