This Knight-Ridder Tribune story examines the business of booking guests on cable news. MSNBC EP of booking and development Mike Tanaka says bookers speak with prospective guests and can tell "in five seconds whether somebody will be a good guest...The days of getting the professor who drones on aren't as prevalent as they used to be."

> And: "For us, it's about credentials," CNN booking VP Joy DiBenedetto says. "Does the person have the experience and credentials to talk about what we've asked them to comment on?"