Larry King will turn 80 on Nov. 19 — but he’s not showing any signs of slowing down.
King, who left CNN in 2010, anchors two shows on Ora.TV — “Larry King Now” and “PoliticKing” — which also air on RT America. He has a new radio gig (90 seconds of commentary airing here on WABC/770 AM) — which is also featured on the AARP Web site — and he’ll be on ABC’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live” on the 19th (the show is marking his milestone birthday).
“I don’t feel 80 and I can’t believe I’m 80,” he says. “When I was a kid, I didn’t know anyone who was 80. Men died at 66, 67. When we were kids, if you were 63 you were ancient.”
King, who’s been hosting his Ora.tv talk show since July 2012 — when he was hired by the network’s billionaire owner, Carlos Slim — is still getting the big-name guests (he interviewed former VP Dick Cheney on Monday). “The only difference is that it’s not live, so I’m not as current as I was at CNN,” he says. “So I can’t get right on the air and discuss breaking stories. And that’s one thing I miss, the immediacy. It really hit me the night bin Laden was killed. I felt like jumping out of my chair and running to work, and that’s what propelled me to come back.”
I asked King if he harbors any resentment at the way in which his 26-year run at CNN ended.
“I’m not angry, but I would have liked to continue there,” he says. “They offered me a one-year contract — I’d always been given three-to-four-year contracts — so when they said one year I knew the writing was on the wall. They were fine to me and gave me three years extra pay,” he says, switching to CNN’s ratings woes. “They’re in a tough spot. When the big story breaks, you go to them — they’re still the place of record — but for the day-to-day stuff . . . we’re in a country that’s so in conflict that . . . there’s no ‘down-the-middle’ anymore.”
Steve’s growing empire
“Boardwalk Empire” star Steve Buscemi, who’s executive-produced Andrew Cohn and Davy Rothbart’s new documentary, “Medora,” celebrated at the Angel Orensanz Foundation’s sneak-preview — sponsored by Rooftop Films and Piper-Heidsieck — along with his wife, filmmaker Jo Andres, Piper Kerman (“Orange is the New Black”), Lola Kirke (“Gone Girl”) and many others. “Medora” opened last Friday in NY and LA; it’s available Tuesday via VOD and on iTunes.
Last, but not least…
Ex-CNNer Christa Robinson has joined Tribune Company as chief communications officer . . . Tom Llamas represents Ch. 4 at Tuesday’s 2013 New York Cares Coat Drive press event . . . Conan O’Brien is one of the contemporary Irish and Irish-American writers interviewed on “Irish Writers in America,” which comes from O’Brien and Colum McCann and premieres Friday on CUNY TV . . . Congrats to Michael Feeney, upped to executive VP, corporate communications at A&E Networks.