craig kilborn was the host for close to three years. they laid a really good foundation in some ways, with the mock cars london, the satire, the tone and the focus was very different. it was much more of a parody, of local newscasts in a way that could be mean-spirited in some of the material and there were also much more interested in celebrity and hollywood and showbiz stuff. and it punched down at times, in a way that could be funny, but was kind of the femoral -- if ephemeral. john knew that he wanted to be substantive, but he did not have a master plan, not a blueprint. >> you said you only wanted to last nine months? >> yes, that was what i wanted. >> that was fine enough? >> yes. >> do you know why you were successful, was it the best extension of what you know how to do? >> i believe that. perhaps i did not know it at the time, but beyond that, cable is a different animal, especially at that time. it had a different level of pressure, a different level of performance. au were able to use it as laboratory in ways that you would n

craig kilborn was the host for close to three years. they laid a really good foundation in some ways, with the mock correspondents, the satire of the news. the tone and the focus was very different. it was much more of a parody, of local newscasts in a way that could be a mean-spiritedness in the material. they were much more interested in celebrity and hollywood and showbiz stuff. and it punched down at times, in a way that could be funny, but was kind of ephemeral. one thing interesting in talking to jon and other folks there at the time when he came in at 1999 , he knew he wanted to be more substantive. but he did not have blueprint.an, a ok, here is where we are going. charlie: you just said, i want to last nine months? charlie: yes, i had been fired enough. charlie: do you know why he was successful this time? chris: -- charlie: was it the best extension of your talent? jon: yes. i did not necessarily know that at the time. but beyond that, cable is a different animal, especially during that time. it had a different level of pressu