Suze Orman Leaving CNBC For Syndication Deal

Suze Orman, the financial guru, is cashing out from CNBC after 14 years on the business network.

Orman is not exiting television, however. In fact, just the opposite.

She plans to launch a new five-days-per-week show called Suze Orman’s Money Wars, to be developed by Warner Brothers subsidiary Telepictures for a debut sometime next year.

Reporting on the new Suze Orman venture, Variety suggested that the show is likely to go into syndication, although not necessarily. “It’s not clear yet if the project will be distribbed [sic] via first-run syndication or shopped to cable outlets. The series is in the very early stages of development, meaning that it’s too soon to target a fall 2015 debut in syndication should Telepictures go that route.”

Orman’s last CNBC broadcast will take plae on Saturday evening, March 28. The Suze Orman Show, which airs once a week, is the longest-running program in CNBC history, with apparently three million viewers for each episode. In addition to her TV appearances on CNBC, PBS, and The Oprah Winfrey Show, Orman is the author of nine best-selling financial advice books. She has also won two Emmy awards.

The new show “will focus on families, friends and couples whose disputes about money are affecting their lives. Understanding that fights about money are never really only about the money, Suze will use her signature ability to settle these disputes and help the opposing parties resolve their issues while starting them on the road to financial responsibility,” her website explained.

In a memo to CNBC staff, president Mark Hoffman described Orman as “one of the leading voices in personal finance” who has presented 621 episodes so far on the network. He added that Suze has been a strong member of the channel’s team.

“Suze has been a member of the CNBC family as a preeminent advocate for financial independence teaching viewers the importance of personal empowerment when it comes to money. Her motto ‘People first, then money, then things’ resonates not only through our hallways but through the universe… I want to personally thank Suze for her friendship and for her incredible contributions to CNBC. Please join me in wishing Suze the very best in the future.”

CNBC, in general, has been struggling in the ratings, hitting a 21-year low in September. A year ago this month, Maria Bartiromo announced she was jumping from CNBC to the Fox Business Network after 20 years.

Separately, another longtime TV host, QVC diva Lisa Robertson, announced last month that she is leaving the shopping channel after 20 years.

Do you count yourself among the fans of Suze Orman and, if so, will you miss her CNBC program after it ends in March?

[Image via Albert H. Teich / Shutterstock.com]