Conclusion
Fox News Channel has brought a bombastic, opinionated and breezy style to each of its primetime programming formats. At each turn - Brit Hume's panel of in-house analysts, Shepard Smith's disdain for politically correct speak, Bill O'Reilly's opinionated abandonment of the codes of journalistic objectivity, Sean Hannity's aggressiveness compared with his partner - this distinctive style exaggerated a right-of-center tilt compared with CNN.

Cable News Network, by contrast, was simultaneously harder-edged and softer-edged. It was more committed to covering major stories and to correspondents' reporting rather than anchors' opining. However, its interview formats and guest selection were less ideologically charged. "Crossfire" is an aberration, with a courtly style. And at the center of its primetime schedule is Larry King, as non-ideological and unopinionated as O'Reilly is his opposite.

MSNBC also presented a mixture. It had the most explicitly right-wing of all anchors, former Republican presidential candidate Alan Keyes. "Hardball"'s Chris Matthews had a bombastic, opinionated interviewing style that was more similar to an FNC anchor than one on CNN. However MSNBC has decided not to include a "Crossfire"-style debate in the center of its line-up, choosing instead a traditional network-style newscast anchored by Brian Williams followed by CNN-style in-the-field reportage by Ashleigh Banfield.

Cable news networks appeal to two distinct audiences: highly ideological so-called news junkies whose daily entertainment derives from the overheated debates of the political class; and a less-committed group who rely on experienced newsgathering when a global crisis hits the headlines. CNN's operation is designed as a resource for the latter; FNC's for the former. The course of world events will determine which network is better suited for the times.