Larry King Retires from Daily Grind

by John M. Curtis
(310) 204-8700

Copyright July 3, 2010
All Rights Reserved.                                

          Retiring from the daily grind, CNN’s venerable host of “Larry King Live,” decided its time to hang it up, after a broadcast career spanning over 53 years and 50,000 interviews.  While King’s ratings were in retreat, the 76-year-old master of the one-on-one interview decided it was time to go, possibly staying on CNN to host network specials.  CNN’s U.S. President Joe Klein validated his commitment to the face-to-face interview format, though declining to say whether there’s a frontrunner to replace the ever-popular King.  Speculation has centered on “America’s Got Talent” British judge Piers Morgan and “American Idol” host Ryan Seacrest.  CNN committed itself to a risky gamble of rehabbing the disgraced career of former New York Governor Eliot Spitzer, placing him with conservative columnist Kathleen Parker a primetime news and political talk show.  

            Since Losing CNN’s popular news anchor Bernard Shaw to early retirement in March 2001, CNN has struggled to keep its supremacy in cable news.  Fox News Network’s rise in the ranking also didn’t help CNN’s attempt to capture the magic and credibility from its former anchor.  Shaw reassured an anxious audience in many national crises, becoming a household word in 1991 covering the first Gulf War.  Replaced by Wolf Blitzer as CNN’s trusty new anchor, the audience never got used to Wolf’s hoarse and raspy voice.  Losing Shaw’s silky smooth voice to Wolf’s strained and raspy sound, left  CNN’s audience craving for a more clear, forceful and comforting sound.  When Walter Cronkite left the CBS “Evening News” Jan. 20, 1981 after 19 years, he was replaced by another forceful-sounding bass-baritone Texan named Dan Rather, completing seamless a transition.

            Voices do count in the radio, TV and film biz, where audiences grow fond of charismatic sounding voices..  When once closes their eyes and listens to CNN’s Blitzer, it’s no wonder that Fox News move up the ranks.  Fox News anchors like Bill O’Reilly, Shepard Smith and Chris Wallace mirror the audience’ cravings for strong, clear and credible voices.  King’s retirement and search for a replacement raises a complicated process considering more than a good resume or current celebrity status.  Given CNN’s place in the ratings, Klein can’t afford another mistake.  Picking a British voice risks alienating an American audience, not, as one might think because of prejudice, but precisely because of its foreign sound.  King was a master of American folksiness, much the same way as Shaw, Cronkite and Rather.  Adding a Brit wouldn’t do the trick.

            King’s legacy behind the mike was his uncanny ability to speak to widest possible cross section at ease, whether politicians, celebrities, CEOs, sports personalities, scientists or the man-in-the-street.  “Nobody else does it,” said Klein, referring to King’s face-to-face interview format.  It’s an important too in the arsenal, as we want to keep it going,” acknowledging that CNN doesn’t want to backslide.  Losing market share to Fox spoke less about programming and more about on-air voices.  King, above anything else, possessed a  booming voice, was a bigger-than-life personality that carried with him a sort of clout, not seen in his competitors.  Whether interviewing presidents or homeless activists, King set people at ease, steering away from the combative “gotcha” approach seen of shows like “The O’Reilly Factor,” where rancor and combativeness trumps good entertainment.       

            King’s approach to interviewing involved respecting his guest for their talent or expertise, not their affiliation to political parties.  While his show broke new ground in the early days of cable TV, it got less serious and more tabloid-like.  Larry’s obsession in recent months with Jon & Kate Gosselin’s tabloid divorce reflected a degree of bereftness, anticipating King’s retirement.  His production quality headed south, a show bankrupt of new substantive ideas. “He lured so many people to this new frontier of cable back before anybody understood what it was all about,” said Klein, calling King a “living, breathing Hall of Famer who is still doing his work.”  More interviews about infidelity with former Democratic VP candidate John Edward’s cancer-surviving wife Elizabeth turned off viewers.  Whatever ground was broken before, King’s show has become stale and banal.

            King’s wisdom came from over 50,000 interviews over 53 years of broadcasting.  For the neophytes seeking to replace him, they should heed his advice.  “I never learned a thing while I was talking,” said King.  “That would be my motto,” handing advice to whomever replaces him.  CNN execs should think twice about replacing one the nation’s most beloved celebrity voices.  King reflected a dying breed, personified by his old friend the late President Ronald Reagan, where politeness and manners still count in American society.  Today’s ultra-partisan and combative talk shows do little to advance the national dialogue and do much damage to the old fashioned idea of a common set of American values.  More petulant hosts and combative talk shows have their place, just not replacing “Larry King Live.”  Before CNN jumps the gun, they should search carefully for the right replacement.

John M. Curtis writes politically neutral commentary analyzing spin in national and global news. He's editor of OnlineColumnist.com and author of Dodging The Bullet and Operation Charisma.