May 1 marks the 61st anniversary of broadcasting legend Larry King’s first radio broadcast at WAHR in Miami Beach in Florida. Since then, he’s conducted more than 60,000 interviews on both radio and TV, most famously for 25 years on CNN.
After stepping back from his regular show on CNN in 2010, King returned to the airwaves in 2012, founding the Ora TV production company in conjunction with Mexican businessman Carlos Slim. The following year, Ora signed a deal with controversial Russian media conglomerate Russia TV to carry his “Larry King Now” and “Politicking” shows.
To mark his 61 years of broadcasting, King, now 84, recently sat down with Asharq Al-Awsat to discuss the highs and lows of his illustrious career, the “fake news” phenomenon, his views on Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and what keeps him going after so many years in the business.
You have been broadcasting and working in the media for almost more than 60 years, and you will celebrate your 61st year in this field on May 1st. How do you feel about that?
I never thought I would last for so long, I thought I could retire in 2010 when I left CNN but I couldn’t, and then we came up with ora.tv for more than six years now. I think it keeps me going, I love what I do, I love asking questions and I had no idea that I would be on the air for 61 years.
Do you think someone who works in the media can retire one day?
It's hard to retire from the media, I do not call it work. I love what I do and I love meeting people, I do not know what I’d retire to, retire to what.
Let’s go back to the beginnings of your career. Do you remember what was the worst moment for you on radio or on TV?
My first day on radio was scary because I did not know what to say, I just been given a new name, I was nervous. I always wanted to be on radio, but I did not think I could talk well, I could not say anything. The general manager kept talking, he said “this is communication business, communicate”. I turned on the microphone and I told the audience what was happening, that I just had a new name, that I wanted to be on radio all my life, that I was nervous, so I told them the truth. Since then, I’ve never been nervous, I have complete confidence in myself on the air. I love what I do. So I would say that my worst moment was my first moment.
If the time goes back, would you work in the media? Or you would have chosen something else? Why?
I'd still work in the media, I love what I do. But, if I couldn't have done that, I think I'd have been a standup comedian. I do a lot of that - comedy and storytelling - when I go out speaking. And I've done a comedy tour in the past. But my favorite job will still to be in the media. There's nothing like communicating with and interviewing interesting people for a living.
After all these years in the media, who was your favorite guest?
It's very hard to pick one up, you can say Frank Sinatra, Marlon Brando, Martin Luther King, Nelson Mandela. In the entertainment field, Sinatra and Brando would be the top 2.
And in the political field?
I met presidents, prime ministers from around the world, France, Germany, England, Mexico, South American leaders. Long list.
After conducting more than 60,000 interviews, who is the person that you wish to interview, and did not have the chance to?
Fidel Castro, I thought I could arrange a meeting with him when I went to Cuba some years ago, but we could not make it happen. Castro has led his country for more than 60 years, and I do not think any other leader have done that. Forget what you think of him politically, he would have been fascinating to talk to, but I never got to meet him.
If you had the chance to have the last interview in your life who would you like to meet?
I’d like to be old enough to meet "the president not yet born". I would like to meet German Chancellor Angela Merkel, she is a fascinating woman she has a lot of power, maybe the most powerful person in Europe. I also like to meet the prime minister of England, she is also fascinating to me, Theresa May and new French President Emmanuel Macron.
Do you think you will interview Prince Mohammed bin Salman?
Oh, I would love to interview him, I would like to have an interview with Saudi King Salman, and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. I am sure I will make this interview.
Do you remember all the interviews that you conduct?
No, I did a lot of interviews and I do not remember many of them.
Who helps you to prepare the questions?
No one tells me the questions, I make up my own questions, they give me facts about people. I have a great staff that gives me information about the people, this staff I am working with, is the best, we had the biggest staff in CNN, but this staff is the best. They give me preparation and I make my own questions. The most important thing in questioning is listening to the answers, because often answers bring up follow up questions.
What about your experience with the Russians, why did you accept their offer to move to RT (Russia Today)?
I did not do it, RT made an agreement with ora.tv. I own a percentage of the company but not the majority. They licensed my program, in other ways I don’t work for them, and they never ever interfere with it. At my Politicking show, Russia and Putin are often criticized, they have never taken it out. I’ve never been edited.
And before that, with CNN, have they ever forced you to say something, have they ever interfered, did you change some political points of view?
Never, I’ve been very lucky, in all my years I’ve never been told what to ask what to do, who to be against or not to be against.
What do you think of what is happening now in the media, and the "fake news" terminology?
I do not know what that means. I have been in the media for a long time. In all my years in CNN and Ora, I’ve never said a word that is fake. There are opinionated news, MSNBC and FOX are opinionated, but fake news I have never seen.
Do you think the media is in risk because of social media? Or do you think they complete each other?
On social media, everyone has an opinion, everyone gives information, and people use it a lot. I don’t pay much attention to it, but anonymous people sending in their opinions are fine. I look responsibly at the major networks CBS, NBC and ABC. I respect the New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Miami Herald, I respect the BBC and a lot of media.
Media is fine, I am sad that the newspapers are going away in America, as well as books and encyclopedias, because everything has become dependent on the Internet. It’s a changed world.
Do you think journalism will disappear or the print will disappear?
I hope print doesn’t disappear, I love print. I've written a column for years for USA TODAY and MIAMI HERALD. I am sorry that our kids don’t read newspapers, that’s sad to me. I have teenage boys, I never see them reading newspapers, they get all their information from their iPhone and television. But you cannot stop time and this technology advance. It is very hard to read in the newspaper news that you don’t know, because you heard it already.
In one of your interviews, your guest Jerry Seinfeld got mad on air. Tell us why?
He got mad because I asked him “was the show cancelled?” and that was my fault. In fact, when I was on the air, Seinfeld was on the air, so I never got to watch Seinfeld until after I left CNN. Now I've been watching Seinfeld for 6 or 7 years, because I tape in the afternoon, and the show is brilliant, and I understand his success. We became friends after that, and I was in his movie The Bee Movie, and we did all the scenes together, and he appeared in my show after that.
People say that Larry King never "crowds his guests" in a corner, you do not interrupt them if not needed, he asks questions and lets them answer. How do you comment on this?
I do not believe in interrupting, but I never was afraid to ask any question. I ask in a different manner than other people ask. I am not confrontational, we make more fun page news than a talk show and I always got to the point. I have heard that said, but I have never heard a good example of it.
Why do people say that?
I don’t know why, I guess jealousy, I ask good questions, I listen to the answers, I follow up. I am a journalist, I am curious. I want to know everything about everything, so I’ve never understood that. I can’t tell people what to like and what not to like. I do my show my way, and I love what I do. You can either like me or not like me, you can be informed or not informed. I will say this, you watch any interview of mine and you will learn a lot more than you knew before it started.
Why is Larry King different? Why Larry King more famous than anyone?
I do not know why I am different; I just do me. I don’t analyze myself, someone told me years ago, "The only secret in your business is that there is no secret. Be yourself”. I’ve always been myself so I can’t write down what I do, I don’t know how I do it, I just know I love to communicate, I love broadcasting, I love radio, I love television I love print, and I love the whole business of communication. If you like what I do, you like it, and if you don’t, I can’t make you like it.
So, What makes you famous? What makes you different?
I've thought about that a lot. I think it's just because I don't pretend to be an intellectual. I don't have an agenda. I'm very curious. I ask short questions. I leave my ego at the door. I’m an everyman - and my guests have responded to that over the years. I can be as interested in a conversation with someone I meet on the street as I am in a conversation with the president. I like talking to people and hearing their stories. I ask questions that the average person wants to know about, maybe doesn't think about, but clearly wants to know about.
Have you watched Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's interview on "60 Minutes" on CBS?
Of course, he was very good. I am really interested in what he does, he is changing the country and I see the big things coming to Saudi Arabia, things we have not seen before.
I see Saudi Arabia changing rapidly, it’s almost a kind of revolution. He is a special young man, I love people who transform, I love people who change the landscape, and I think that this is what Prince Mohammed bin Salman is doing. I wish him the best.
What is your advice for people in the media? For those who want to be great like Larry King?
Always be yourself and never give up. If someone tells you, you can’t be in and you believe them, then you can’t be in, if you want it you’ll get it. There’s always a room in the media for talent you can make it if you’re good at it and you want it. Never give up.
May I ask some personal questions, general ones?
Yes sure, go ahead.
You have experienced critical health conditions in your life starting from the heart, type-2 diabetes in 1987 and prostate cancer in 1999 and recently you underwent surgery for lung cancer. How have these health crises affected your life and your way of thinking especially since you have always spoken of your fear of death?
Well, the way it has affected my life is that everything that’s happened has made me be a healthier person. I gave up smoking cigarettes. I try to eat right. I try to keep my body and mind in shape. It also forces me to get regular checkups, which is how I picked up the lung cancer at a very early stage. I'm very health aware. I'm not a hypochondriac, but I'm very health aware. I've been very lucky.
My work and my family keep me going. It keeps you alert. I think the fact that I keep on working keeps me young. I don't know where my stamina comes from, but I have a lot of stamina.
What’s your daily schedule? Your favorite hobby? Your favorite show? Your favorite food?
I get up early. I have breakfast with friends every day. We eat food and talk about things that are happening in the news, in sports, in politics. I read five newspapers every day. Then I go into the studio and tape my shows, “Larry King Now” and Politicking until the early afternoon.
I watch news and sports on television. I'm always learning. I'm always reading. I love going to the movies. For a laugh, I love watching all the old episodes of Seinfeld. I love going to my kid’s baseball games. For my favorite meal - I believe that would be lamb chops. I've always loved lamb chops since I was a child. With a baked potato and caesar salad, and if I had to choose something for dessert it would be lemon meringue pie.
