Having people with different viewpoints debate each other on television is nearly as old as TV itself.
But the shoutfests of today common to the cable news channels bear little resemblance to some of the meatier discussions of earlier days. Like the ones hosted by conservative icon William F. Buckley, on his show "Firing Line."
The creation of the show and its legacy are examined by Heather Hendershot in the book . Our interview about the show and its effect on politics is from 2017, and we replay it here.