Larry King
Born on November 19, 1933 and raised in Brooklyn, New York, Larry King was only nine years old when he lost his father. His father’s death forced his mother to go on welfare to support the needs of their family. It also greatly affected his interest in education.
At an early age, Larry King dreamed of building a career in the radio industry. Heeding the advice of a CBS staff announcer, he went to Florida in order to take whatever chance he can get on its rapidly growing media market. After a few initial miscues, Larry King finally got his big break as a disc jockey in one of the stations in Miami. Not long after, his popularity grew in South Florida’s radio scene. In 1960, he debut with his first television program in Miami. During the late 60s and early 70s, Larry King established a local following and added a newspaper column to his duties in radio and television.
His own television program, the Larry King Show, went national in 1978, and was the first nationwide call-in show. The show was eventually broadcasted live on television by the relatively new Cable News Network in 1985, making it the very first live phone-in television program worldwide. In his program, Larry King interviewed actors, athletes, politicians, writers, as well as foreign dignitaries. The extent of his influence became evident as billionaire Ross Perot chose to publicize his presidential candidacy live on the Larry King Show.
Later on in the 1992 elections, his show became a favorable forum for the candidates. In the following year, Vice President Al Gore agreed to appear on the program to debate the much talked about North American Free Trade Agreement with Ross Perot.
Nowadays, Larry King enjoys instantaneous access to the most prominent personalities in the entertainment industry and mass media. Years after he first set foot inside a TV station, Larry King and his show continue to dominate the television scene.