Bill O'Reilly is right.

The biggest problems with the media are caused by a lack of genuine philosophical diversity in the newsrooms – and even among the pundits who comment on the news of the day on television and in newspapers.

That is changing – for the better.

One great example of this change is MSNBC's signing of Alan Keyes to do a nightly show on the network.

This is a direct response to the success of the Fox News Channel and, to some extent, the breadth of new voices on the Internet.

It's a healthy thing. It's a good thing. It's evidence of positive change – that the marketplace of ideas is responding to good, old-fashioned market laws of supply and demand.

Why is the debut of one show, "Alan Keyes Is Making Sense," such an important development?

Because Alan Keyes is not your run-of-the-mill commentator and news analyst. He is, perhaps, the most gifted orator in America today. He is principled. He is courageous in his uncompromising stands. He is a throwback to another era of American politics – the era of Thomas Jefferson, James Madison and George Washington.

This is not your average talking head.

Keyes has been writing a column weekly for WorldNetDaily for the last four years. He is also well-known as a presidential candidate – one determined to raise important issues that are often overlooked by the mushy middle of the Democrat-Republican debate.

I think this is a real breakthrough for television – and it's just a sign of things to come.

Fox News Channel broke the ground in independent thinking on cable television. Its competitors are responding. Even CNN is taking a new look at its programming as Fox has climbed to the No. 1 position.

But keep your eye on Keyes.

The ratings achieved – or not achieved – by his program will be important in determining just how fast this media revolution unfolds.

Keyes, as most WorldNetDaily readers know, was ambassador at the United Nations during President Reagan's tenure. But he is not just some foreign policy wonk. He is equally well-versed on domestic issues, having directed Citizens Against Government Waste, and is a leading spokesman for common-sense morality in our culture.

Frankly, he's brilliant – despite his Ph.D. in government from Harvard University.

It will be most interesting to observe how he adapts to the one-hour format of a nightly television commentary and interview program on MSNBC.

My guess is that Alan Keyes will provide a forum for voices – like his – that have too often been choked out of the debate in prime-time. My guess is Keyes will provide keen insight you seldom see on television. My guess is that this show will be successful over the long haul because of those factors.

For all those people – right-wing and left wing – who are sick of the non-debate that has taken place in the safety zone of the mass media for too long, look at this as an opportunity to expand the national discourse. Look at this as an opportunity to expand the media revolution that began right here five years ago with the debut of WorldNetDaily. Look at this as an opportunity for more challenging and engaging and lively programming in a mass medium that has played it safe for too long.

But, understand that this is a mercenary move by MSNBC. The media conglomerate is experimenting with a program like this to see if it can make money with it, to attract millions of viewers, to sell products.

Bill O'Reilly helped blaze this trail. Rush Limbaugh helped blaze this trail. Now it's Alan Keyes' turn.

I'll be watching. How about you?