Larry King '[Drowned] Out' By Maddow, Hannity: NYT

New York Times:

Although still the linchpin of CNN's lineup, he has come to embody an enormous problem facing the cable news channel. How can he and CNN compete in prime time when viewers seem to crave partisan political programs and when prominent guests -- the lifeblood of Mr. King's show -- would rather burnish their images on other channels?

Read the whole story: New York Times

Comments

[cincinnati]

04:11 AM on 06/04/2010

CNN and MSNBC have been rather pathetic in their
coverage of the attack on the ships from Turkey.

MSNBC, which has some good programs like the
Ed Show, Rachel Maddow, Keith Ob., has seemingly
chosen to ignore it mostly, especially most oddly
on the first or second day. Keith did give a mostly
fair talk with the former US Amb. who was on
one of the ships, but only tonight and it
was very short.

CNN's Rick Sanchez was practically in love with
the Israeli Ambassador the first day, it was as if
he was paid by their propaganda dept.

Maybe I've missed better on either channel, but both have
repeated the IDF film over and over, like brain washing.

Fox of course is even worse and hopeless.

[times up]

06:10 PM on 06/01/2010

You have to know when you're ahead and quit on top. Larry, that was about a decade ago. Go on vacation and enjoy a nice retirement. Go enjoy your wife. And your girlfriends.

[Abdi S]

04:10 AM on 05/31/2010

The only thing I stop watching Larry King show is because he interviews celebrity or his just into entertainment industry which I hate all there coverages on the media. Celebrity obsession is terrible disease for society or the media.

[cef911f1]

08:24 AM on 06/01/2010

Well, you'll love tonight's show with Lady Gaga then. (LOL)

BTW, I agree with you except "celebrity obsession" is a terrible disease for society AND the media.

[Lisette]

03:37 AM on 05/31/2010

I really like Larry King
I wach the show all the time
and I loathe all those opinion shows
They remind me of Bughouse Square
A place in Chicago where you stand on a soapbox
and say whatever you want to.
Of course they were all loonies but then so
are those opinion shows.
I like Charlie Rose too
At least you can learn something interesting
from these shows

[jerryatthebeach]

05:30 PM on 05/30/2010

Larry has had a great run, but, they should replace him with a Gay male Republican to compete with his contemporaries...

[Melissa]

05:08 PM on 05/30/2010

Larry is like some of the members of Congress who just don't know when it is time to quit.

[Igor13]

03:46 PM on 05/30/2010

Did he swallow Sponge Bob Squarepants?

[mad world]

12:44 PM on 05/30/2010

I used to watch Larry King. Then Michael Jackson died, and everyday turned into "The Larry and Jermaine Show". So I don't watch anymore.

[noaxe397]

03:50 AM on 05/30/2010

The cable news channels are always changing their on air personalities to get the prettiest faces in front of the camera. Yet they go with this unappealing fossil in their prime time hour.

It's got nothing to do with the competition; King is a lousy interviewer, period.

I've tuned in when he's had someone on I'm interested in and King has never failed to disappoint.
Once he had on live for the full hour rock legend Eric Clapton. I thought I was going to get to hear a lot about the hey dey of classic rock.
Instead it was "So, you play the guitar?"

Another time he had on Bob Barker, then the host of TPIR. The topic turned to Barker's former legal trouble with the models on the show. King asked Barker what his wife thought of the sexual harassment charges. Barker's eyes widened noticably as he told King his wife died TEN years ago and he is a widower. Ooops!

The BEST was when he had Seinfeld on and asked if "he fired NBC or NBC fired him?"
Seinfeld went off; "Fired me? FIRED ME? Do you know who I am? We were the top rated how on TV!"

Totally unprepared. It's like King has a list of questions to ask regardless of who the guest is.

[Lisette]

03:41 AM on 05/31/2010

LOL -- I would watch just for that!

[JacklynD]

12:32 AM on 05/30/2010

I'm not sure I buy the premise that he is not attracting interesting and topical guests. "Normal" people do not want to go on Hannity's or Maddow's shows. His guests are not always political. I like the comfortable non-confrontational format of his show.

The political hacks will come and go (sooner rather than later, I hope). Leave Larry alone.

[Lisette]

03:42 AM on 05/31/2010

Exactly!!
Fanned and Faved

[MyThought]

12:51 PM on 05/29/2010

Sorry, but Larry King creeps me out. He can't stay away from asking personal sexual questions of this guests - don't you think that's a little strange

He gossips and asks gossipy questions, all the while in the middle of stupid scandals himself.

Time for him to go.

[mad world]

12:43 PM on 05/30/2010

Carrie Prejean, is that you?

[oxjr]

12:22 PM on 05/29/2010

I love Larry, but I admit his spark has finally started to fade. The death of the show was to put Joy against him on HLN. She isn't that great of an interviewer but her show is a tonne of fun. I like the idea of Kathy Griffin taking over (she is great on the celebrity stuff and how cool would it be to have her interview someone she has picked on in her stand-up hee hee) The other choice would be to steal the very popular George Strombopolous from Canada's CBC's THE HOUR.

[toocoldout]

03:58 PM on 05/29/2010

The problem with Kathy Griffin is she just isn't funny. Even Larry has better comic timing and he's not even a comic. She's always trying to say she was black listed because she's controversial. WRONG! She's blacklisted because she's just not funny. She filled in for Larry a couple times & it was painful to watch.

[oxjr]

07:36 PM on 05/29/2010

While you personally may not like her comedy, she has a huge and loyal fan-base. The ratings soar when she is a guest (and when she hosts), and she has two Emmy's. So SOMEONE must find her funny and talented. The cool thing would be that people who like her would watch and people who hate her would watch ....kinda like Glenn Beck.

[Melissa]

05:17 PM on 05/30/2010

She's blacklisted because she is offensive and not at all funny. I don't think she will be back on CNN for their New Years Eve special, last year it got terrible reviews.

[motoGpifupleez]

11:42 AM on 05/29/2010

He had the winner of 'American Idol' on last night.

The Gulf is drowning in oil, massive government complacency and corporate malfeasance led to it, and he's interviewing the winner of 'American Idol'.

I check in every weeknight at 8:00pm to see if Bill Maher or Michael Moore or some other truth teller is on. If not, I go elsewhere.

I don't care to see the latest manufactured celebrity, rehabbing celebrity, or "political discussion" between two party hacks trying to "out volume" one another with talking points.

[Lisette]

03:44 AM on 05/31/2010

Bah! How much Golf oil can one listen to?

[EdwardTx]

08:48 AM on 05/29/2010

I have never understood the appeal of Larry King. He is a dreadful interviewer and appears to be tone deaf.

[toocoldout]

03:59 PM on 05/29/2010

He appears to be a dreadful interviewer until he goes on vacation & they get someone else to fill in. Then you see how good he really is and you miss him.

[LittleMittens]

01:14 AM on 05/29/2010

He's 107, has a gas fan under the table, and can't hold an interesting line of questions to save his prostate, just let it go Larry