Larry King on the Future

In an interview by Katie Couric marking his fifty years in broadcasting, Larry King was asked, “What are you looking forward to in the future?”

The seventy-three year old replied, “Living!”

Larry King Live, Interview of Larry King by Katie Couric, CNN, May 13, 2007.

Image: Larry King Living!

Larry King on the Art of Conversation

In seeking to be a good conversationalist one can learn much from the interviewing skill and questions employed by veteran broadcaster, Larry King.

In an interview by Katie Couric marking King’s fifty years in broadcasting, Couric asked him whether he felt great pressure in interviewing influential people such as Nelson Mandela, George and Laura Bush, Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan.

King said, “There is additional pressure because I feel an interview with such people is important. I know in cases like these that something could be said that could change human affairs or the course of history.”

“However,” he added, “It is still quite simple. It is a matter of asking the basic questions of ‘who’, ‘what’, when’, where’, ‘why’ and ‘how.’ The best things always come out of good conversations.

Larry King Live, Interview of Larry King by Katie Couric, CNN, May 13, 2007.

Larry King on ‘What Makes a Good Guest?’

Larry King has been broadcasting for 50 years, has conducted 10,000 interviews and is just warming up!

In an interview by Katie Couric to mark his 50 years she asked him, “What makes a good guest?”

He said there are four things:
The person needs to have passion,
The ability to explain what they do in a skilful way,
A chip on their shoulder (involving a certain amount of anger) and
A great sense of humor.

He said, Frank Sinatra had all four and he was in Larry’s top ten favorite people to interview.

Larry King Live, Interview of Larry King by Katie Couric, CNN, May 13, 2007.

Larry King on Curiosity

In an interview with Katie Couric marking his fifty years in broadcasting Larry King was asked about the secret to his endurance.

In this conversation he was linked by phone to Nancy Reagan who expressed amazement as to how Larry can move from one interviewee to the next so effortlessly. Larry said, “I have always been curious. From the time I was five, when I met the bus driver I wanted to ask him, ‘What’s it like to be a bus driver?’ I have always wondered,” King said. “I am the most terrible person to sit next to on an airplane because I will ply you with questions. I am an intensely curious person.”

When Katie asked him to describe his style he said, “I am intensely curious. I go into an interview with no agenda. I approach it neither going in to praise the person or to knock them over. I go into the interview seeking to learn.”

Larry King Live, Interview of Larry King by Katie Couric, CNN, May 13, 2007.