In an interview with Adweek‘s Brian Braiker, CNN managing editor Mark Whitaker describes his vision for the future of the news network. Simply put, it’s not just about breaking news, but it will probably look a lot like Anderson Cooper. “I think we’re in a day and age when you can have all the qualities of a great journalist but have a human side as well, and even a sense of humor. In many ways Anderson Cooper is the model that we increasingly are going to, not that everyone has to be Anderson Cooper.”

As CNN hosts like Larry King and Eliot Spitzer have left the building, the network has stressed the journalistic bona fides of its emerging stars, like ex-CNBC anchor Erin Burnett, who made her first appearance on CNN Monday night and will debut her own show at 7 p.m. in September. Burnett’s described by CNN bosses as a savvy reporter who’s as comfortable anchoring a newscast as she is reporting in the field–the same qualities Whitaker says are essential in making Cooper the prototype CNN anchor. “He has qualities that I think we want to see in our anchors and reporters. Anderson is not ideological, but he is demanding accountability; he’s asking tough questions; he’s not histrionic. He manages to relay the importance of events without being theatrical or over-the-top in any way.”

Interestingly enough, with all the ridiculous answers that the completely game King gives them, our favorite part of the profile is when the interviewer, Lauren Bans, has to explain to him one of the games:

GQ: Okay: Fuck Marry Kill with Zsa Zsa Gabor, Elizabeth Taylor, and Liza Minnelli.
Larry King: Okay, now, this is do what? Have a what with them?

I don’t know why, but the image of this conversation just tickles us pink. I really hope this was a phone interview making this moment even more awkward than it looks.

The whole thing is goofy fun and will only take you about a minute to read, so why don’t you do yourself a favor on this gloomy Monday and check it out.

King, you see, was very cold, and he let Maher know it. They each seemed incredulous for different reasons: King that the set was so cold, Maher that King didn’t seem to understand why the set was so cold (the reasoning: every TV show taped in front of an audience does it because if it’s too hot, the crowd gets lethargic). King also wanted to know the temperature of the room – unsurprisingly, Maher didn’t have an answer for him.

Again, King could not be a more perfect stereotype of an old person here – he might as well be wearing these and talking about walking places 15 miles uphill in the snow when he was your age. That’s why we love him, though – that, and the fact that he can take the jokes that will inevitably come his way over this. Video of the segment below, via HBO.

After speculating on her New Hampshire location being so close to Romney’s and why she would wear a cross necklace one day and a Star of David necklace another (Maher wasn’t such a fan of the switch, but panelist Larry King was all for the Star of David). They all took the most interest, though, in her description of Paul Revere’s ride, which in her telling was about “warn[ing] the British that they weren’t going to be taking away our arms.”

Panelist Melissa Harris-Perry was especially in stitches over that one, but it soon turned into a more serious discussion of exactly what Palin is hoping to accomplish with the tour. Maher called it “an un-campaign,” a series of campaign stops made to look like they’re anything but, in order to avoid the appearance that she’s just trying to score political points. Harris-Perry saw it as the “reality TV version of a presidential campaign.” As for whether it will actually help her politically for a presidential run it’s uncertain she’ll even make, Maher came to a blunt conclusion:

“I think anybody could be president in this dumb fuckin’ country.”

Video below, via HBO.

Watch it, from TBS:

Hannity cherished the respectful relationship he shared with King throughout the many years they were competitors, saying:

“We work – let’s be honest – in a world where there are a lot of people that we may describe as maybe narcissistic or egotistical somewhat. In all the years that we competed together – and I never viewed you as anything but somebody that I admired and respected, you’re a class act. There was never a negative word that I can recall between us, and you know, I think that’s kind of rare today.”

King agreed and said since he liked the broadcasting business so much, he never wanted to see another television host fail. They also discussed King’s final show and how Hannity thought the funniest moment was former President Bill Clinton being part of the “zipper club.” The term refers to open heart surgery patients, yet Hannity clearly enjoyed the possibility for other potential interpretations. King warned Hannity that one day he too will have to do his last show and said “if it’s a Democratic President, you’ll be crying.” Hannity humorously responded, “I’m crying now Larry, forget about then.”

Hannity clearly admires King immensely, and truly does seem to yearn for the days when civility amongst competing cable news hosts was not as rare as it is today.

Watch the clip from Fox News below:

King explained that she was one of the first public figures to speak out about AIDS, saying she may have done more than any other individual to fight the disease (her AIDS charity, by the way, can be found here). He then went on to describe her personality.

“She was loyal to the core. She was a tremendous talent. She did have a lot of rough life. She loved a lot. I guess I know how that goes. But she went to her love. She was what she was. She had scandal. She had everything you could put into one life including a great, great sense of humor.”

King also claimed the producers of his old show had put together a tribute episode made up of her appearances. Hopefully it will air soon.

Watch the clip from CNN below:

Apparently, Comedy Central felt that there’s currently “not enough Larry on TV.”

Do you think King would be a good fit for the show? We can’t see King being funny in a satirical way, but, then again, we’re one of the seven people who really enjoyed Katie Couric‘s recent comedic turn.

h/t New York Post

On Friday, Parker/Spitzer co-host Kathleen Parker announced that she is leaving the show. In a guest column, John Ziegler, radio host, Palin confidante, and the filmmaker behind Media Malpractice: How Obama Got Elected and Palin Was Targeted, offers his commentary on Parker’s departure from CNN.

The views expressed in this guest column are those of John Ziegler alone.

About three months ago, I predicted that CNN’s Parker/Spitzer show was “not long for this world.” I made this hardly earth-shattering prediction just after I appeared on the program to discuss the national rerelease of my documentary, “Media Malpractice… How Obama Got Elected and Palin was Targeted,” where I confronted Kathleen Parker about her role in the “assassination” of Sarah Palin during the 2008 election cycle.

Bizarrely, a clearly startled Parker responded by actually taking credit for having “led” the “assassination” of Palin. This smackdown created news and even inspired Palin to tweet about the episode. The whole thing was almost certainly the most memorable moment in the show’s short and forgettable history, and is emblematic of why Parker was indeed just let go from the program. From CNN:

There are many reasons why Parker’s short stint on CNN didn’t work. Some weren’t even really her fault. The taped format was antiquated, boring and stuffy. Creating chemistry with a notorious dog like Eliot Spitzer would have been impossible for any “conservative” female to do without turning themselves into an almost literal call girl. Plus, the show’s time slot is the most competitive in cable news television.

But the primary reason why the program couldn’t work is also the very reason Parker got the gig in the first place. She was clearly hired because she was perceived as a “conservative” who was willing to vigorously attack Palin, while not holding any particularly strong conservative opinions which might offend the largely liberal CNN audience. It is hardly a secret that the best (and perhaps only) way for an unknown or career-challenged conservative to achieve mainstream media acceptance is to be a sellout to their supposed cause (just ask Arianna Huffington, Peggy Noonan, David Brooks, David Frum, Michael Smerconish, or Joe Scarborough, to name only a few).

Criticizing Palin (along with endorsing Obama) has quickly become the most reliable path to instant notoriety/credibility for ambitious “conservatives,” and Parker became the poster child for this phenomenon. When I went on CNN during my film’s first release, I was actually asked to respond to a Parker quote about Palin. This was especially absurd because Parker had no special knowledge of Palin and was virtually unknown before she “led” Palin’s “assassination.” Had Parker praised Palin, CNN would never have found the quote remotely newsworthy.

However, there is apparently a downside side to getting a show this way. Much like a guy who spends all his cash to get the girl and has nothing left to keep her, Parker had no capital with which to make the show a ratings success. Conservatives, most of whom don’t trust CNN to begin with, had no reason to tune in, and she was such a soft and colorless “conservative” that she didn’t even make for a fun punching bag for the liberal audience, or her overrated co-host (based on my experience Spitzer is actually quite dumb). The sad reality of cable news television today is that you must be polarizing to “succeed.” Moderation or wimpiness simply won’t work, especially when such a temperament is clearly contrived, and not backed up with any real talent.

With no spark, no friction, no talent, and no audience base, Parker brought nothing to the table, and the show was clearly doomed. In the end, she got the fate that she clearly deserved, only probably better.

There is also an interesting secondary element to Parker’s demise which might make media pundits a little more hesitant to attack Sarah Palin. Since the 2008 election, many of her biggest media critics have found themselves out of a job. Keith Olbermann, Rick Sanchez, David Shuster, Alan Colmes, Campbell Brown, John Roberts, Larry King, Harry Smith and Parker are all prominently mentioned in my documentary and all of them have been let go from TV jobs since Obama got elected.

Coincidence? Perhaps, though I have no doubt that if the media wanted to create a narrative here there would be more than enough data to justify it. Regardless, if Chris Matthews is smart, he might want to be careful.

“I have the last few months saying following you is like following Frank Sinatra,” said a disappointed Morgan. “I couldn’t have paid you higher praise! To go in my backyard and say I’m an oversold, undangerous…”

King countered by saying he thought Morgan was “fine,” before asking the host whether he had been facetious when he described himself as “dangerous.” “What that an attempt at British humor!” Barum-ching! Sign us up for two tickets on the King of Comedy Express.

King then told Morgan, quite honestly, that he had yet to see him be “dangerous” when conducting his interview. Clearly, he didn’t see the episode featuring the Kardashians. Morgan then, quite dangerously, joked that he would punch King in an effort to win ratings.

Watch the CNN segment and tell us: Does it seem like Morgan is agreeing that he did, in fact, oversell himself to audiences?

Beginning on April 14th in Connecticut and lasting until June when he wraps things up in Las Vegas, King will travel across different cities – seven of which have been announced so far – to bring audiences that trademark wit for which he’s so famous.

His one-man show will give fans a comical look at both his personal and professional life, and will also offer audience members the chance to ask the long-time TV veteran questions.

We simply can’t wait for the inevitable “Interviewers of Comedy” tour featuring King, Barbara Walters, Anderson Cooper, Diane Sawyer and Ryan Seacrest. A time will be had by all, surely.

h/t BBC

What truly constitutes “dangerous” in the world of cable news? Is it presenting an unexpected guest rarely seen on television? Or is it the way one interviews a guest–in a surprising, must-watch fashion? Some criticized Morgan’s opening night interview of Oprah Winfrey as “fawning” and even “timid,” a word that led Morgan to tell Mediaite reading that in a New York Times story felt like “a shard of ice landing in my eyeball. One thing I can never be is timid.”

BBC sums up the interview:

Former long-running CNN talk show host Larry King has claimed his successor Piers Morgan, was “oversold” to US television audiences.

“I don’t want to be horrible about him, I think he’s a fine broadcaster,” King told BBC Radio 4′s PM programme.

After it was announced that the former newspaper editor would be replacing King last year, a huge advertising campaign began to publicise the show.

“I think they might have been better off starting quietly,” King said.

King bowed out in December after presenting his CNN talk show for 25 years.

Morgan made his debut in January with Oprah Winfrey as his first guest.

Critics gave a mixed reaction to Morgan’s first show with the Philadelphia Inquirer newspaper calling him “enthusiastic and effusive”.

King ended his interview with the sort of faint praise that comes from someone who might be exhibiting a bit of schadenfreude over Morgan’s tepid ratings, saying “I like him,” before adding “he’s certainly not bad.” Huh.

Listen to the entire interview at BBC.

(H/T HuffPo Media)

My twitter feed blew up over the news that the study linking the MMR vaccine to autism had been declared an “elaborate fraud.” The study had actually been retracted a while back, but this makes it official. There have always been parents wary of vaccines, but this study is the one that started the ball rolling. Jenny McCarthy helped it grow into a giant snowball of panic. You know, Jenny McCarthy; former Playboy model, D-list actress and ex-girlfriend of Jim Carrey. She wasn’t in it alone. Oprah helped her spread the word. So did Larry King Live and The View. She was even on The Doctors, discussing the “debate” with doctors. She was a regular on our trusted TV shows; that is, after all, where you go when you have a book to promote.

I’m actually not trying to pound on Ms. McCarthy, because I’m pretty certain she has the purest of motivations. I believe she’s a victim of the misinformation as much as anyone. When something is wrong with your child you want it fixed and you’ll do anything to make it happen. When there is a “cure” you’ll preach it to the masses. Mothers on a mission are a very determined bunch. But, Jenny McCarthy put herself in the forefront of the anti-vaccination movement, and now she’s got an even bigger bulls eye on her. The “I told you so” contingent are taking aim. There are some sites that hold her personally accountable for vaccine-preventable deaths. For those who like to keep track of such stats, there’s the Jenny McCarthy Body Count.

We can’t blame it all on Jenny McCarthy, though. Both sides of the issue have had their say, often without science as the arbiter. It’s an incredibly emotional issue ruled by fear. Fear of what will happen if parents don’t vaccinate and fear of what could happen if they do. The Autism issue has been clouded by not enough people knowing, simply, not enough. In a stroke of interesting timing, Seth Mnookin’s upcoming book, “The Panic Virus” asks the question “Who decides which facts are true?”  It’s a compelling look at how conspiracy theories can take hold.

Celebrity activism can be a great gift. Look at George Clooney’s work on behalf of Darfur or Brad Pitt building sustainable homes in New Orleans. Oprah happens to be the most philanthropic celebrity (and wouldn’t you know Tiger Woods is up there as well – not counting the hefty donation he just made to his ex wife). Celebrities have the loudest voices when it comes to activism, and it is monumentally helpful for the causes they support – but what happens when the loudest voice is also the wrongest? That’s when things get complicated.

I personally don’t think officially calling Andrew Wakefield’s study fraudulent is going to change much in the anti-vax community. Many already think governments are suppressing the truth in an elaborate conspiracy, so this will only feed into that. The monster is out of its cage, and it’s going to be very difficult to put it back in. Celebrities- right and, alas, wrong - will continue to preach and there will always be those who will listen. Especially if Oprah gives them a platform.

Lori lives in the greater Cincinnati area. She’s a stay-at-home mom of two girls while her husband works to pay off her two college degrees. When not changing diapers or sorting coupons she can be found tweeting as @LoriNKY or blogging at Mish Mash Momma.

Photo of Jenny McCarthy via DoSomething.org and Bitten & Bound.

•Perhaps Piers Morgan might want to launch his show a bit sooner? Admittedly, it’s the week between Christmas and New Year’s and most shows are seeing lower-than-normal ratings, but CNN had it’s worst night in a decade Tuesday: according to Nielsen, last night was CNN’s lowest rated weeknight since May of 2000 (among viewers 25-54, the key demographic for advertisers). The numbers were dismal across the board, with every hour from 6 p.m. through midnight averaging less than 100,000 viewers. After the soon-to-be-replaced Larry King Live, the poorest performing show was AC360, with a meager 61,000 viewers 25-54 at 10 p.m.

•Fox News, meanwhile, stayed dominant even on an off week, with all of Fox’s key primetime shows winning their timeslots but one–the 11 p.m. re-air of The O’Reilly Factor, which lost out not to any of MSNBC’s standard news and politics fare, but the true crime series Lockup.

Here’s the full scoreboard:

TV NEWS RATINGS: 25-54 DEMOGRAPHIC (L +SD)
5 pm	Beck 400	Blitzer 112	Matthews 161	Showbiz 63
6 pm	Baier 355	Blitzer 91	Ed Show 147	Prime 87
7 pm	Shep 335	King, USA 83	Matthews 135	Issues 111
8 pm	O’Reilly 365	ParkerSpitzer 73	Olbermann 128	Grace 148
9 pm	Hannity 263	King 54	Maddow 99	Behar 77
10 pm	Van Susteren 168	Cooper 61	Special 184	Grace 87
11 pm	O’Reilly 196	Cooper 63	Special 230	Showbiz 81
TOTAL DAY	228	93	129	101
PRIME TIME	265	64	137	101
Data by Nielsen Media Research. Live and same day (DVR) data.

TV NEWS RATINGS: TOTAL VIEWERS (L +SD)
5 pm	Beck 1637	Blitzer 548	Matthews 668	Showbiz 138
6 pm	Baier 1983	Blitzer 411	Ed Show 598	Prime 224
7 pm	Shep 1618	King, USA 303	Matthews 531	Issues 364
8 pm	O’Reilly 1789	ParkerSpitzer 340	Olbermann 603	Grace 556
9 pm	Hannity 1256	King 266	Maddow 446	Behar 322
10 pm	Van Susteren 904	Cooper 381	Special 324	Grace 255
11 pm	O’Reilly 683	Cooper 232	Special 355	Showbiz 231
TOTAL DAY	1218	358	385	257
PRIME TIME	1316	331	457	367
Data by Nielsen Media Research. Live and same day (DVR) data

Larry King is continuing to make the interview rounds in the wake of retiring from his CNN show, this time returning to CNN as a guest on Reliable Sources and providing some more serious news than merely discussing Viagra or showing off his dance moves. Howard Kurtz grilled King about his famously “softball” interviewing style and received some surprising responses.

King is firmly of the opinion that a host should not overwhelm the guest and is not a fan of any show where what the host says is most important. And as valid justification for criticism he received that he was unprepared for interviews, King believes his style allowed viewers to learn the most, since he would be asking simple, interesting questions that an expert on the topic would likely gloss over. When Kurtz wondered whether it was difficult for King to always keep his opinion out of the conversation, King offered up only a recent example of his interview with Iranian President Ahmadinejad where he wanted to jump up and challenge the Holocaust skeptic more forcibly.

Most interesting was when Kurtz wanted King’s assessment of his former timeslot, and ratings-winning competitors Sean Hannity and Rachel Maddow. And King, now a man with nothing to lose, did not disappoint.

King’s unfiltered take on both Hannity and Maddow and their respective shows:

They got better ratings, however, I don’t regret anything . . . I’m not objecting to what they do. They’re more what I guess what television is about today . . . and they’re both very good at what they do [but] I never learned anything while I was talking. So what they are – are preachers – preachers of their opinion. They’re telling you what they know. They’re not learning. There’s no learning experience from either of those programs. . . . I want to learn.

Watch the clip from CNN below:

On The Early Show, soon-to-be new co-host Erica Hill interviewed Larry King who danced, sang, and recited strange poetry to Hill’s amused bewilderment. Hill told viewers “For the first time in 53 years, Larry King is without a radio or TV program to host.” Who could have guessed Hill’s seemingly innocuous introduction was truly a viewer warning, since King (who just ended his CNN show) apparently doesn’t know what to do with himself trying everything from a surprisingly successful turn at stand-up comedy, to a painfully awkward song and dance here.

Not only did King slow dance with a hesitant Hill and warble his way through a rendition of “Beautiful Brown Eyes” to her, but he also found time to tell his CNN replacement, Piers Morgan, that he might be sorry for declaring he doesn’t want Madonna on his show. Enjoy the awkwardness bursting out of this clip and let’s hope one of King’s multiple new career opportunities he mentioned actually does work out, otherwise King might next feel compelled to appear on the fourth hour of the The Today Show and try doing magic tricks.

Watch the clip from CBS‘s The Early Show below:

Former CNN host Larry King, who just last week promised on his final show not to go away, stayed true to his word appearing on Jay Leno‘s The Tonight Show last night and launched a possible new career as a stand-up comic. Leno introduced the crowd to the “bright young comedy stylings of Larry King” and King jumped up with microphone in hand and delivered humorous stories (note to comedy bookers: King doesn’t do jokes).

Even funnier than those stories was when King was sitting down and admitted his kids range in age from 55 to 10, and that the last kid was “without Viagra.” Talk about a revealing interview. Also King discussed that he has mixed emotions over ending his eponymous CNN show, saying its “like your mother-in-law going over the cliff in your new cadillac.” To also learn about where the idea for the suspenders originated, which number wife of the seven King might regret, and why King thinks Rush Limbaugh is just a showman with a bit, check out the full interview.

Watch King’s stand-up clip from NBC‘s The Tonight Show below:

First, Letterman took a few playful jabs at King, including a well placed Oprah reference. But the real laughs came from the clips he played. Sure it was a short reel and the clips only came from a couple of episodes, but they were definitely well chosen.

Of course, watching Larry flub some questions isn’t really a fitting tribute to a man with an amazing career like his, so let me also point you to this amazing video: Larry King fighting mobsters in 1961. Farewell, Larry. We’ll miss you!

(h/t Gawker.tv)

Ouch. And yet, well, yes. Clearly, the show’s odd pace–with long silent pauses and a roster of “surprise” guests (Regis Philbin, Donald Trump) who weren’t going to bring in any viewers under 50–made the hour a somber affair. But to Ray, it was downright funereal:

The finale’s grave tone was set early on as guest co-host Bill Maher from Comedy Central announced “This is not a funeral”. Statements from celebrities and tweets from viewers rolling across the bottom of the screen did little to lighten the mood. Joan Rivers noted “how sad” King’s departure was and more than one tweeter noted “it won’t be the same without you”.

The finale’s odd pace and clunky segments included a cringeworthy moment, noted in the Telegraph, where guest Regis Philbin attempted to perform a dated duet with King:

The most shocking moment occurred when he couldn’t remember the lyrics of a favorite Frank Sinatra song in a sing along with an embarrassed Regis Philbin.

At touching sendoff from CNN’s Anderson Cooper, who talked about the death of his own father at an early age, was nearly derailed by the inclusion of King’s seemingly bored sons. And the Telegraph wasn’t even impressed by the star-studden array of quick visitors sending Larry off with special messages:

News anchor Katie Couric read a long, juvenile rhyming poem about King’s departure. A beaten-down looking Arnold Schwarzenegger, the unpopular outgoing governor of California, announced Larry King Day in California via satellite. And in a taped appearance, President Obama bearing a do-I-really-have-to-do-this countenance thanked King for his 25 years of television interviewing and wished him the best of luck.

Sure, a cynic might argue that King was able to get so many people to pay tribute to him because he never went tough on anyone, but either way, there aren’t many well-known figures in any walk of life who could have inspired as much goodwill as King did tonight. Easy target for mocking though he might be, he’s an icon all the same.

For King’s final speech on his final show, the clearly emotional host said he was “without words.” He said he “never thought [the show] would last this long,” but thanked everyone associated with the show, and of course, the viewers, for making it happen. He reminded those viewers he’s not going away, saying he’ll still have a relationship with CNN, will do radio work, and will “be around baseball.” He closed by saying, “Instead of goodbye, how about ‘so long.’”

It’s clear King has just as hard a time imagining himself out of broadcasting as anyone else….and indeed, can’t stay out of it. It was also clear, though, that tonight was the end of an era, and judging by the litany of well-known faces that showed up, King was far from the only one to notice. Video of his final speech, via CNN, below.

•The fight for second place at 8 p.m. is a two-show race, and CNN’s Parker Spitzer isn’t in it. HLN’s Nancy Grace more than doubled the ratings for sister network CNN’s P/S, and came within 23,000 viewers (25-54) of 2nd place finisher Keith Olbermann.

•Larry King wraps up his long-running Larry King Live tonight on CNN, but last night’s show–with marquis guest Barbra Streisand–was hardly a royal farewell. King finished third, with 178,000 viewers 25-54. That’s 78,000 viewers fewer than MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow.

Here’s the full scoreboard:

TV NEWS RATINGS: 25-54 DEMOGRAPHIC (L +SD)
5 pm	Beck 420	Blitzer 118	Matthews 175	Showbiz 80
6 pm	Baier 487	Blitzer 163	Ed Show 249	Prime 94
7 pm	Shep 459	King, USA 152	Matthews 235	Issues 202
8 pm	O’Reilly 699	ParkerSpitzer 118	Olbermann 280	Grace 257
9 pm	Hannity 547	King 178	Maddow 256	Behar 115
10 pm	Van Susteren 401	Cooper 228	O’Donnell 247	Grace 141
11 pm	O’Reilly 408	Cooper 187	Olbermann 117	Showbiz 163
TOTAL DAY	338	126	149	132
PRIME TIME	549	175	261	171
Data by Nielsen Media Research. Live and same day (DVR) data.

TV NEWS RATINGS: TOTAL VIEWERS (L +SD)
5 pm	Beck 1902	Blitzer 484	Matthews 650	Showbiz 161
6 pm	Baier 2070	Blitzer 505	Ed Show 821	Prime 245
7 pm	Shep 1734	King, USA 404	Matthews 751	Issues 479
8 pm	O’Reilly 2958	ParkerSpitzer 420	Olbermann 976	Grace 697
9 pm	Hannity 2145	King 935	Maddow 998	Behar 427
10 pm	Van Susteren 1564	Cooper 745	O’Donnell 929	Grace 317
11 pm	O’Reilly 1234	Cooper 403	Olbermann 412	Showbiz 356
TOTAL DAY	1372	412	506	304
PRIME TIME	2223	700	967	480
Data by Nielsen Media Research. Live and same day (DVR) data

Nellie Andreeva, writing on Deadline Hollywood, may have best captured the mixed feelings many in the cable news biz have for the King:

He may have gotten out of touch, he may have been famously unprepared for his interviews, and he may have been responsible for his show hemorrhaging viewers to average underwhelming 700,000 a night, but Larry King is still an institution.

CNN tells us the final show will be a much-deserved celebration of some of the best moments over a quarter century–and a look back at some of the 50,000 guests who’ve made their way into King’s multi-colored studio over the years, but as for specifics? Not really, other than this: It has a name inside CNN: “Larrypalooza.”

Led by friend and protégé Ryan Seacrest, a star-studded collection of guests will pay tribute. King will say his goodbyes. And then the set, with its horseshoe-shaped desk and familiar backdrop of multicolored dots, will fade to black.
“It’s sad,” King said, “but there’s a time to go. You know when it’s time.”

The protégé, of course, did not get the job–Seacrest was passed over by CNN in favor of UK import Piers Morgan, who debuts his Piers Morgan Tonight on CNN in January.

One is reminded of a story from 1993 in which Streisand is reported to have complained about Bill Clinton‘s alleged meeting with Sharon Stone, saying, “Why Sharon Stone? She doesn’t know anything about policy.” Conservatives take note: your president is disappointing what you all seem to call the “Hollywood Left.” Isn’t it time that Obama gets a little credit?

Tonight Larry King interviews Conan O’Brien to learn what he really thinks about the other late night show hosts. Unfortunately, no juicy details are included in this preview clip, but we do learn he’s friends with Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert, and doesn’t speak to any other hosts. Especially not Jay Leno, since, according to Conan, there is nothing for the two of them to talk about.

Conan jokingly says he realized being on television “is more important to me than my wife and family.” Whether that statement leans closer towards truth or sarcasm is up to viewers to decide. However one interesting revelation is Conan realizing that his new cable show has given him the attitude of “let’s try anything . . . let’s just go for it, I’ve got nothing to lose . . . I think that’s one of the best feelings you can have in comedy.”

Well that feeling is certainly better for comedy than the humorless self-pity tour with which Conan has hopefully completed. Although Conan does seem to be in good spirits here, it seems that a rare interview with Palestinian and Israeli officials is more likely to occur again than would a Conan-Leno truce.

Watch the preview of tonight’s interview from CNN‘s Larry King Live below:

The U.K. newspaper The Guardian hascalled the Twitter battle “a remarkable…online feud,” noting that in a matter of days, Sugar–who’s known over there as “Britain’s most belligerent boss”–has been holding nothing back in delivering 140-character Piers-putdowns:

Sugar branded Morgan a “monkey”, a “pathetic grovler” (sic), a “saddo” and a “DBT – a double barrel tosser” and said he gave him his “first TV break” on a celebrity version of The Apprentice.

“I’m ordinary bloke from Hackney been in real world for 63 years. Unlike Piers who was born with a silver spoon in mouth,” tweeted Sugar.

Not for nothing, but Morgan’s no slouch in the mud-slinging–some of which is raising money for a U.K. charity. As The Guardian‘s John Plunkett put it:

Morgan gave as good as he got, labelling Sugar a “disingenuous old growler” who had “anger management issues”, tweeting: “Always time for the little people. Especially Lord Sugar.”

A lot of the tweets are filled with the Queen’s English, and not entirely clear to American sensibilities, but it’s an enjoyable fight nonetheless. You can follow Morgan here and Lord Sugar here.

•CNN’s departing interview king Larry King had a rough night Friday, finishing fourth with just 90,000 viewers 25-54–less than a quarter of the viewership of timeslot winner Sean Hannity on Fox News.

•At MSNBC, the biggest performer of the night Friday wasn’t Rachel Maddow or Keith Olbermann. Both got beaten by Friday night crime fare Lockup, which performed solidly, even winning the time period among viewers 25-54 at 11 p.m.

Here’s the full scoreboard:

TV NEWS RATINGS: 25-54 DEMOGRAPHIC (L +SD)
5 pm	Beck 352	Blitzer 156	Matthews 152	Showbiz 41
6 pm	Baier 326	Blitzer 141	Ed Show 155	Prime 51
7 pm	Shep 426	King, USA 102	Matthews 139	Issues 160
8 pm	O’Reilly 630	ParkerSpitzer 119	Olbermann 274	Grace 142
9 pm	Hannity 438	King 90	Maddow 236	Behar 97
10 pm	Lennon 304	Cooper 114	Lockup 277	Grace 92
11 pm	O’Reilly 307	Cooper 115	Lockup 335	Showbiz 105
TOTAL DAY	308	118	176	106
PRIME TIME	458	108	262	85
Data by Nielsen Media Research. Live and same day (DVR) data.

TV NEWS RATINGS: TOTAL VIEWERS (L +SD)
5 pm	Beck 1782	Blitzer 554	Matthews 600	Showbiz 99
6 pm	Baier 2169	Blitzer 560	Ed Show 736	Prime 161
7 pm	Shep 1803	King, USA 333	Matthews 646	Issues 425
8 pm	O’Reilly 3018	ParkerSpitzer 420	Olbermann 1120	Grace 567
9 pm	Hannity 2058	King 517	Maddow 905	Behar 393
10 pm	Lennon 1232	Cooper 466	Lockup 557	Grace 263
11 pm	O’Reilly 1143	Cooper 367	Lockup 583	Showbiz 280
TOTAL DAY	1371	404	532	263
PRIME TIME	2106	468	861	109
Data by Nielsen Media Research. Live and same day (DVR) data

•Times are good for Fox’s Bret Baier, whose Special Report was dominant in its time period, crushing its nearest competitor, Wolf Blitzer among viewers 25-54. Baier also continued to perform well among Fox hosts, beating Glenn Beck, Shepard Smith, and Greta Van Susteren.

•Soon-to-be-leaving legend Larry King was CNN’s top performer on the night, beating second-best performer AC360.

Here’s the full scoreboard:

TV NEWS RATINGS: 25-54 DEMOGRAPHIC (L +SD)
5 pm	Beck 446	Blitzer 168	Matthews 168	Showbiz 92
6 pm	Baier 555	Blitzer 146	Ed Show 181	Prime 82
7 pm	Shep 461	King, USA 140	Matthews 234	Issues 145
8 pm	O’Reilly 767	ParkerSpitzer 142	Olbermann 233	Grace 172
9 pm	Hannity 561	King 248	Maddow 192	Behar 148
10 pm	Van Susteren 380	Cooper 237	O’Donnell 212	Grace 130
11 pm	O’Reilly 392	Cooper 118	Olbermann 187	Showbiz 133
TOTAL DAY	368	135	144	136
PRIME TIME	573	209	212	150
Data by Nielsen Media Research. Live and same day (DVR) data.

TV NEWS RATINGS: TOTAL VIEWERS (L +SD)
5 pm	Beck 2038	Blitzer 594	Matthews 702	Showbiz 174
6 pm	Baier 2264	Blitzer 552	Ed Show 765	Prime 187
7 pm	Shep 1950	King, USA 472	Matthews 768	Issues 376
8 pm	O’Reilly 3305	ParkerSpitzer 560	Olbermann 998	Grace 704
9 pm	Hannity 2178	King 606	Maddow 914	Behar 463
10 pm	Van Susteren 1659	Cooper 641	O’Donnell 858	Grace 301
11 pm	O’Reilly 1311	Cooper 414	Olbermann 536	Showbiz 325
TOTAL DAY	1506	438	503	303
PRIME TIME	2390	602	923	479
Data by Nielsen Media Research. Live and same day (DVR) data