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Week Marks 2 Decades Of 'Inside Edition'

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By KATHY BLUMENSTOCK, The Washington Post

Published: January 7, 2008

In its early years, "Inside Edition" bore the "tabloid" label, part of the late 1980s TV landscape that was dotted with similar programs.

The syndicated show, which marks 20 years on the air this week, airs at 7 p.m. Monday through Friday on WTSP, Channel 10, in the Tampa Bay area.

It was hosted first by David Frost, then Bill O'Reilly, and included Nancy Glass and Star Jones among its contributors.

However, the show's diet of sensational crime news, celebrity gossip and other light fare changed with the arrival of Deborah Norville in 1995.

"Before then, there wasn't a spring break they didn't cover," said Norville, whose background includes NBC's "Today" show and a stint at CBS News.

"Those were the days of 'Hard Copy' and 'A Current Affair.' That's what the competition was."

The show's producers ultimately "got rid of the stuff that made one recoil and put some muscle and dollars behind it," Norville said.

Launched by King World Productions and championed by CEO Roger King, who died last month, the program shifted much of its coverage to the investigative stories Norville prefers.

"What Roger felt strongly about was that investigative journalism could be the thing that could set 'Inside Edition' apart from the rest," said Norville, who cited her stay in a jail to a report on county lockup facilities as well as a report on malfunctioning minivan hatches.

This week, the program airs special segments recalling its two decades.

Highlights include confrontations and investigations, with emphasis on stories that have led to change (today); interviews with newsmakers and a look at pop culture (Tuesday); hard news coverage, including the Oklahoma City bombing and Hurricane Katrina (Wednesday); and heartbreaking and memorable moments (Thursday).

Friday's program will showcase a look behind the scenes, including the inevitable blooper collection.

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