FINANCIAL SHOWS SLUMP

As millions of investors tune outthe bad news from Wall Street,they're also tuning out the Street'sTV voices. Ratings of financial newsTV shows have plunged since theheady days of the bull market, partlybecause of a loss of trust in marketanalysts who remained almost universallybullish even as the marketimploded. One victim of the falloutis Louis Rukeyser, who was dumpedfrom his popular PBS-TV showafter a messy split-up. Rukeyser hassince resurfaced on CNBC, goinghead-to-head with his public-TVreplacement. Although ratings aregrowing, combined viewership ofboth shows is down 20% from thelevels Rukeyser commanded all byhimself on PBS. CNBC's star financialreporter Maria Bartiromo hasalso seen ratings for her Mondaynight prime-time show fall 42%since August 2002.