Crossfire (1982) actually substantially predates FOX News (1996)... and I also don't think it materially changed in how it framed debates after the FD erosion i

Crossfire (1982) actually substantially predates FOX News (1996)... and I also don't think it materially changed in how it framed debates after the FD erosion in the mid-80s. I do agree that the FD revocation leads directly to FOX News and AM talk radio, I just don't think CNN or Crossfire are examples of the phenomenon being discussed. I think people mention Crossfire largely in the context of Jon Stewart criticizing the Tucker Carlson era iteration, which fair cop was bad, and also coincided with an era where CNN phased out real news journalists like Aaron Brown in favour of more idiot talking heads. But I'm just not sure you can draw the causal graph from fairness doctrine to those events ~18-ish years later the same way you can to the rise of talk radio a few years after FD was sunset and FOX News 5 or 6 years after that.