From ‘Crossfire’ to ‘CeaseFire’: C-SPAN Executive Unveils Initiative Fostering Common Ground

During his tenure at CNN, Sam Feist was responsible for managing “Crossfire,” a program that became a standard for televised political debates. Now overseeing C-SPAN, Feist is pursuing a different approach.

This autumn, C-SPAN is launching “CeaseFire,” a program aimed at fostering dialogue between political opponents to identify common ground. On Wednesday, it was announced that Politico’s Dasha Burns will host the show.

“Ultimately, Americans and congressional members share more commonalities than differences,” said C-SPAN CEO Feist. “This reality is rarely portrayed on TV, and it’s seldom witnessed on the congressional floor. I wanted to change that narrative.”

“Crossfire,” which aired from 1982 to 2005 on CNN, was known for its format featuring a conservative and a liberal host, along with guests, discussing controversial topics. The show was often loud, and arguments sometimes became personal. As cable television shifted focus from reporting news to discussing it, this conflict-driven format gained popularity.

This approach arguably impacted politics too, where being confrontational became a more effective way to gain attention than seeking consensus and progress.

Comedian Jon Stewart, who appeared on “Crossfire” in 2004 and criticized hosts Paul Begala and Tucker Carlson for damaging discourse in America, played a significant role in its demise. Begala described Stewart’s critique as a “disemboweling,” and just three months later, CNN canceled the show.

Losing the ‘sugar high’ of partisan conflict

From traveling the country reporting, Burns said she also feels there is a disconnect between how people think of politics and how it is portrayed on television — a dissonance, she suggests, that “CeaseFire” can tap.

“I think there is a secret yearning for this among a lot of people,” said Burns, Politico Playbook author and chief White House correspondent, who will hold onto those roles. “Obviously there is a reason why shows that have a lot of conflict get a lot of views, but I also think there is a part of the country that is really tired of the sugar high from conflict and polarization.”

Burns said she works hard to cultivate a nonpartisan approach in her job so she can report equally well on what is happening with Democrats and Republicans in Washington.

“My moderating style does tend to be very personal and conversational, and I want to bring some fun and charm and levity to the show,” she said, “but also really push people and get people out of their comfort zones of partisan acrimony and into a zone that may be less comfortable for them in the public eye.”

Feist said Burns was chosen for the job because she’s both a good interviewer and a good conversationalist, as well as being plugged into the Washington scene.

He said he got the idea for “CeaseFire” years ago from Michael Kinsley, a former “Crossfire” co-host, and is hoping it can become a signature show. A time slot, premiere date or early guests have not been announced yet.

Friends from across the aisle

Since getting the job at C-SPAN, Feist said he has talked to more than 100 members of Congress about whether they had friends across the aisle and, to a person, each one gave him a name of a political opposite they enjoyed spending time with.

If only half of those pairings agreed to come on “CeaseFire,” he said, he’d have enough programming for a year.

C-SPAN takes pride in appealing in equal numbers to Democrats, Republicans and independents. They are people who want to watch politics and government in action, and not just people talking about it, he said. Still, there’s a need to show something during the nights and weekend when Congress is not in session.

“When I got here we started talking about new programming and what we could do that was different, where there was a need in the television landscape,” Feist said. “Over and over, I heard from people on the inside and the outside: ‘Can’t you even have a civil conversation in Washington?’”

And that, he said, is precisely what “CeaseFire” will try to do.

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David Bauder writes about the intersection of media and entertainment for the AP. Follow him at and https://bsky.app/profile/dbauder.bsky.social.