Presidential Announcements Larry King says that sometimes in the past when he walked down the street, people would stop him and say, "So who are you going to make president this week?"

King, the host of a daily three-hour radio talk program and a nightly television interview program, made history in the 1990s when he nudged a reluctant candidate, Ross Perot, into announcing a bid for the presidency. Before the presidential campaign was over, King's program had become a frequent stop for the other major candidates.

Part of King's success lies in his skill as a listener. "I like questions that begin with 'why' and 'how,' " he says, "and I listen to the answers, which lead to more questions." Although King doesn't consider himself a journalist, he says that asking questions comes easily: "My earliest memory is of asking questions. 'What did you do that for? Why did you do it?' "

King grew up in Brooklyn as the son of Russian Jewish immigrants. At age 22, he took a bus to Miami, changed his name (from Larry Zeiger), and got a job as a deejay on WIOD. Before long, he had his own sports show and was soon interviewing local celebrities. Eventually, King found a home in Washington, D.C., with The Larry King Show radio program. Today King hosts Larry King Live, a TV talk show featuring interviews of prominent people and accepting phoned-in and e-mailed questions from viewers.

One of King's personal rules is not to prepare too much. "I never drive to work thinking of questions," he says, "but good things follow from what I do."

King says that this method enables him to ask the kinds of questions people in his audience would ask. Rather than try to draw out facts from his guests, King focuses on their feelings and motives.

Today, with his trademark slicked-back hair, glasses, and suspenders, King comes as close to being a kingmaker as anyone in the media. More than 4 million people tune in each day to find out who and what he's going to listen to next.

State what is your opinion of Larry King's interviewing skills. Watch one or two of his broadcasts; then discuss in class his original questions, his ability to ask effective follow-up questions, and his overall skill in obtaining information from interviewees.

State how can you make a positive point even if you aren't directly asked about it.

Give three short comments you could make during an interview that would encourage your subject to continue talking.