Larry King did not look happy yesterday, the morning after he announced he is ending his show on CNN.
But, as the saying goes, when one door shuts, another opens.
According to his spokesman, King is now eligible to become a pitchman on TV and radio — making more money than he ever did as a cable talk-show star.
“I don’t think his arrangement with CNN would prohibit that,” said p.r. guru Howard Rubenstein, who represents King.
“He could be the spokesman on television for any product.
“I could see billboards going up all over and with his picture on it saying, ‘Buy so-and-so,'” said Rubenstein.
King will be careful about what products he endorses, Rubenstein cautioned.
“He doesn’t want to lose his credibility,” he said. “It has to be real.”
“Losing that talk show may be the best thing that ever happened to him — financially,” said one agent who is not connected to King.
The chance to do things like host game shows — something Anderson Cooper did before he joined CNN — or appear as himself in movies are also open after November, when he is expected to do his last show, said the agent.
King’s CNN salary was about $7 million a year, according to reports.