On Buckley’s old program, he would interview his guests, and occasionally he would also have an in-studio “examiner,” who would also pose questions.
It’s not on anymore, so it’s been a long time since I’ve seen it, but why did he use an “examiner?” Couldn’t he have just asked the questions?
According to Alan Hirsh’s book, “Talking Heads: Political Talk Shows and Their Star Pundits”:
“In the 1970s Firing Line also benefited from slight changes in the format. The moderator was dropped and the three-person panel of questioners eventually was replaced by a single “examiner.” The examiner, generally an astute liberal (freguently Jeff Greenfield, Mark Green, or Michael Kinsley), was called in for the last quarter-four to direct sharp questions at both Buckley and guest. Thus, in the course of the hour viewers were treated to a relatiely lengthy exploration of the opinions of both Buckley and his guest, then given the benefit of sustained questioning and commentary from another source.” (Hirsch 20)
Examiner-probably taken from the the legal use-a la cross examine.