December 6, 2004 edition of Crossfire. Seated on the outside, co-hosts Paul Begala and Tucker Carlson; on the inside, their guests Congressman Gregory Meeks and Congressman Darrell Issa.

Crossfire is a current events debate program on CNN. It first aired in 1982. In January 2005, it was announced that it would be cancelled as a freestanding series, possibly to become a shorter, "gentler" segment of Inside Politics. [1] (http://dailypioneer.com/vivacity1.asp?main_variable=MEDIA&file_name=med4.txt&counter_img=4)

The show is hosted by two pundits, one whom is chosen "from the right" and one "from the left," thus purporting to provide both sides of the political spectrum.

The current "left" hosts are Democrats Paul Begala and James Carville. Republican Robert Novak is on the "right."

The show almost always features two additional "left and right" guests on each topic of discussion. On some occasions only one guest is featured. Argument is encouraged, and the show is often characterized as having a somewhat rancorous, though lightly humourous, approach to political discussion.

Previous regular hosts include Tom Braden, Pat Buchanan, Tucker Carlson, Larry Elder, Bill Press, Michael Kinsley, Mary Matalin, John H. Sununu and Cal Thomas.

With the increasing popularity of alternatives like Hannity and Colmes on the Fox News Channel, Crossfire saw decreasing viewership.

The length of the program was increased to an hour in March 2002; however, in April 2003, Crossfire was reduced back to just half an hour. After Tucker Carlson was fired in January 2005, it was reported that the show would be cancelled, possibly reborn as a shorter segment on CNN's Inside Politics. CNN CEO Jonathan Klein indicated that he wanted to change the tone of shows on the network, which became a major topic in late 2004 after comedian and Daily Show host Jon Stewart appeared on the program and bashed the format.

The show is currently broadcast live from The George Washington University in Washington, D.C..

External link

• Official website (http://www.cnn.com/CNN/Programs/crossfire/)

References

• David Bauder (January 5, 2005). CNN Lets 'Crossfire' Host Carlson Go. Associated Press. Retrived January 5, 2005 from Yahoo! News. (http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=494&u=/ap/20050105/ap_en_tv/tv_carlson_crossfire_1&printer=1)