WASHINGTON (US) – CNN reported on Saturday that noted TV host Larry King, who interviewed thousands of world leaders, politicians and entertainers for the channel and other news outlets for more than 60 years, died at 87.
He had been admitted at Cedars Sinai Medical Centre in Los Angeles with coronavirus infection for more than a week. For many years, he had endured health issues, including a near-fatal stroke in 2019 and diabetes.
Millions watched King interview world leaders, entertainers and other celebrities on CNN’s “Larry King Live”, which ran from 1985 to 2010. Hunched over his desk in rolled-up shirt sleeves and owlish glasses, he made his show one of the network’s prime attractions with a mix of interviews, political discussions, current event debates and phone calls from viewers.
Even in his heyday, critics accused King of doing little pre-interview research and tossing softball questions to guests who were free to give unchallenged, self-promoting answers. He responded by conceding he did not do much research so that he could learn along with his viewers. Besides, King said, he never wanted to be perceived as a journalist.
“My duty, as I see it, is I’m a conduit,” King told the Hartford Courant in 2007. “I ask the best questions I can. I listen to the answers. I try to follow up. And hopefully the audience makes a conclusion. I’m not there to make a conclusion. I’m not a soapbox talk-show host… So what I try to do is present someone in the best light.”
