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02/13/2005: "My Pitch to CNN"

Crossfire has been cancelled so I’m guessing that CNN has a hole in its schedule. Here’s my suggestion: put on a talking heads show staffed not by true believers who can be trusted to parrot the line of their party’s extreme wing, but with thoughtful moderates. Each would be slightly left or right of center. They would engage in intelligent and respectful conversation. For example, both would likely note when the other says something that haves some merit. Could a show like that possibly have a snowball’s chance of success? Well, the alternative isn’t very appealing. Crossfire died (IMHO) because they it became nothing more than a bumper sticker delivery system. Even if you liked hearing the slogans your side delivered, you were subjected to the other side’s slogans. Anyone needing partisan sound bytes can just watch the news. Some might argue that moderate talking heads would be boring. My counter-example is Siskel and Ebert. What was great about that show was these two guys could have completely different opinions about a particular film, yet never took these differences personally. The only other alternative to shows that intelligently discuss issues is further polarization of media into partisan channels like Rush’s Excellence in Broadcasting Service (EiBS). Actually, it’s EIB Network, but don’t you think Rush was asking for it with his “cBS, aBS, nBS” comment noted in today’s Rush Insight to Ponder feature?