Novak was a host and political analyst for the Cable News Network beginning in 1980. In 1982 he and Rowland Evans began hosting "Evans & Novak" on that network. (That program was later called "Evans, Novak, Hunt, & Shields" after CNN contributors Mark Shields and Al Hunt joined the panel, and after Rowland Evans died, "Novak, Hunt, & Shields".) He co-hosted Cable News Network's "Crossfire". He was founder, executive producer, and co-host of "Capital Gang "on that network. He was fired by Cable News Network in 2005, partially as a result of an incident where he stormed off set after cursing at fellow CNN political analyst James Carville. He joined Fox News Network that year. 