Political Pundits, Overpopulating the News Networks

For the cable networks, the benefit of punditry is that this type of talk is literally cheap. Most experts invited to comment on TV receive no compensation for their opinion slinging, according to news producers. For a select few, however, the rewards of the job can be good, and sometimes great. Several news organizations have agreements with the networks to use the organization's journalists on the air (under a deal with MSNBC, Post reporters receive $100 for daytime appearances and $300 for prime-time segments).

The next step up is a retainer deal, which binds a pundit to a particular network for regular or semi-regular "hits," as segment interviews are known.

An elite cadre at the top of the pundit pyramid -- Mike Barnicle and Newsweek's Fineman on MSNBC; Williams and Kristol on Fox News; Borger and Toobin on CNN -- have annual contracts that tie them to a network on a half- or full-time basis. Such deals can pay as much as $200,000 annually, producers say.

Punditry could be a growth market for some time to come. Assessing his stable of regular analysts, Sam Feist, CNN's political director, says: "I think we've found the right number for our recent election nights."

So CNN now has all the talking heads it needs?

Not necessarily.

"We're always tweaking our team of political contributors," he says. "I won't say we won't add more" as the campaign continues.