C-SPAN’s Next Big Bet Is a “Radically Different” Sort of Cable News Show: ‘CeaseFire’ (2025)

Can a “radically different” cable news show help C-SPAN make an impact in a radically divided Washington D.C.?

The non-profit public affairs channel has ordered a new weekly program called CeaseFire (yes, it’s a play on the late and lamented CNN show CrossFire), a show in which “Democrats and Republicans come together to solve problems and discuss the great challenges facing our nation,” per the channel.

Debuting in the fall, CeaseFire “will offer viewers across the country something radically different during a time when division and dysfunction dominate the national conversation.”

The program is the first big swing by Sam Feist, who joined C-SPAN from CNN a year ago (yes, he also produced CrossFire). Feist has leaned into C-SPAN’s roots as an unbiased and unfiltered chronicler of national politics, with live feeds and coverage of Congress that traditional cable channels mostly ignore.

“In a media landscape that too often rewards outrage over understanding,CeaseFirestands out by showing what respectful, principled conversation looks like,” said C-SPAN CEO Feist. “C-SPAN may be the only television network in 2025 uniquely equipped to air a program like this — operating as a non-profit public service, we aren’t driven by ratings or drama, but by a mission to inform, educate and empower an engaged citizenry.”

The concept will see politicians and other figures from opposite sides of the aisle sitting down to discuss the things they agree on, while avoiding the topics they don’t.

“This program creates a space for two leaders — dedicated to respectful dialogue — to explore common ground, spotlight bipartisan cooperation, and model the constructive behavior essential to a thriving democracy,” C-SPAN says.