CNN announces 'Crossfire' relaunch [View all]

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CNN announces 'Crossfire' relaunch

By DYLAN BYERS |
6/26/13


It's official: CNN has announced that it will relaunch "Crossfire," its longstanding political debate show, this fall.

As previously reported here, former Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich and former Obama deputy campaign manager Stephanie Cutter will both serve as co-hosts. Gingrich will be joined on the conservative side by S.E. Cupp, the MSNBC co-host, New York Daily News columnist and TheBlaze contributor; Cutter will be joined on the liberal side by Van Jones, a CNN contributor and former green jobs advisor to the Obama administration.

“Few programs in the history of CNN have had the kind of impact on political discourse that Crossfire did – it was a terrific program then, and we believe the time is right to bring it back and do it again,” CNN president Jeff Zucker said in a statement. “We look forward to the opportunity to host passionateconversation from all sides of the political spectrum. Crossfire will be the forum where America holds its great debates.”

Crossfire, which launched in 1982, was originally hosted by Pat Buchanan and Tom Braden, and featured subsequent co-hosts Robert Novak, Tucker Carlson, James Carville, Paul Begala and Bill Press, among others. It ran until 2005, making it the longest-running political debate show in cable news history.

UPDATE (9:45 a.m.): CNN executives have discussed airing the show at 6:30 p.m. on weeknights, though a final decision has yet to be announced, sources tell POLITICO.

http://www.politico.com/blogs/media/2013/06/cnn-announces-crossfire-relaunch-167110.html?hp=l24