In the news

New "Crossfire' ready to go

CNN has done everything short of hiring famed boxing announcer Michael Buffer to let viewers know they will see a feistier Crossfire starting today.

The on-air promos for the political talk show have even given the lineup of panelists WWF-style nicknames -- James "Ragin' Cajun" Carville, Tucker "Bow Tie" Carlson and Robert "Prince of Darkness" Novak. Democratic strategist Paul "Longhorn Lefty" Begala also is joining the program.

The 20-year-old Crossfire has been in dire need of an overhaul. For years, Crossfire, which expands to an hour and moves to 7 p.m., was the only daily venue to see proponents from each side of the political spectrum face off for a program-length debate.

But the proliferation of 24-hour cable news channels has made the format a commodity. Once one of the highest-rated CNN shows, Crossfire's audience has long been in a slow decline.

CNN will try to reverse that trend by presenting the show live before an audience at the Jack Morton Auditorium at George Washington University in Washington, D.C.

Expect to see flashier graphics and music, and a microphone moving through the audience to let spectators occasionally take part in the debate.

Music notes

Eminem and his record label have been sued in federal court by a French composer who claims the Grammy-winning rapper stole one of his tunes. The copyright infringement lawsuit, filed Thursday in Manhattan, accuses Eminem and Interscope Records of lifting parts of Pulsion, a jazz fusion work by Jacques Loussier, for the caustic rap song Kill You. The suit seeks unspecified damages. . . . David Bowie said he's signed a record deal with Columbia to release his first album in three years. Heathen is scheduled for release June 11. . . . Feisty Oasis singer Liam Gallagher is being investigated by police after he was accused of assaulting someone at a London bar, BBC News Online says. Police received a complaint of common assault after an incident Thursday night. They did not reveal who made the allegations, but the complaint is not thought to stem from a fracas with a bouncer, the BBC said.

© 2006 • All Rights Reserved • Tampa Bay Times
490 First Avenue South • St. Petersburg, FL 33701 • 727-893-8111

Contact the Times | Privacy Policy
Standard of Accuracy | Terms, Conditions & Copyright