This article presents the results of a study of the history of the genre of current affairs debate programmes on Swedish television, 1956-96. Several different aspects of changes in the genre have been studied: subjects debated, participating actors, the forms of debate and the role of programme host(s). Aspects of the production processes have also been studied. Theoretically, the aim of the article is twofold: (1) to provide a contribution to existing theories about genre change and genre history, and (2) to relate changes in the genre to macro-level societal changes and phenomena, mainly changes in the mediated public sphere (based on the theories and arguments of Habermas), and changes in the practices and forms of journalism over the last 40 years.
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