Broadcasting legend Larry King knew it was a special honor to be welcomed into people’s homes and hearts. From his hours keeping people company overnight on the radio to his nightly appointment with CNN viewers to his final foray on the internet, he loved talking to people and he loved entertaining them even more. That was Larry’s greatest success: talking to people rather than talking at them. And listening.

I spent thirteen years working with Larry, first as his producer in the early eighties on the Larry King Show, his late night call-in radio show on Mutual Broadcasting that aired nationwide. Larry brought me to CNN to produce Larry King Live when media impresario Ted Turner convinced Larry to join his new venture, the Cable News Network. It was 1985, and since no one was paying that much attention to cable, we had a chance to create something from the ground up.

We acquired a leftover set and cobbled it together; a few eagle-eye viewers noticed the continents were not in the correct order but we figured it was part of the charm of the show. We even tracked down a rare radio microphone like the one he had used for years to help Larry feel more at home on the set (it was just a prop that we carried everywhere) Thanks to an idea from Sharon King, Larry’s wife at the time and a producer in her own right, we put Larry into suspenders for the illusion of authority and to look less hunched over.

Our first guest was Mario Cuomo, the governor of New York at the time  who was widely expected to run for President. It was a big get for us, and set the bar high for what we wanted to accomplish with the show. For an hour each night, we challenged Larry to talk to everyone: from world leaders to Jack Hanna and his zoo animals, sometimes on the same show. He was always game.

His guests loved him because Larry always made them the star of the show and he gave them respect, no matter what their transgressions.

Larry wanted to know what made people tick, and we all benefited from his insatiable appetite to know more and more and more. He didn’t judge anyone, maybe because he didn’t want people to judge some of his choices. Larry was not a perfect man but he never stopped trying to be better than he was the day before.

Larry believed in the American dream because he was living it. The self-described scrappy kid from Brooklyn grew up loving radio and knew he wanted to be a part of that world. While he never went to college, that didn’t mean he stopped learning. The world was his classroom, every interview a lesson – some good, some bad – but he learned something from every encounter. Not that he was one to dwell; Larry wouldn’t spend much time reviewing his interview performances. He was always looking forward to what was next.

He was the great equalizer. He put the audience on the same level as himself by insisting his guests take calls from viewers. Can you imagine being the President of the United States or a one-named celebrity and opening yourself up to the complete unknown of a viewer call? On live television? Larry loved the thrill of live television, more than the additional millions of dollars he was offered to leave CNN for other TV opportunities.

Even during commercial breaks, Larry would just keep chatting with the guests. He would be so engaged with their conversation, that the rest of us would have to whisper so as not to disturb. The best commercial break story was when we finally got Ross Perot to announce his candidacy for President of the United States. Larry never got enough credit for pushing him to announce. Prior to the interview, Perot had been toying with the idea of running. Larry kept pushing him, asking what are you waiting for? And into the last segment, Perot finally just said it – if Americans registered him as an independent and got his name on the ballot in all 50 states, he would run. That interview changed the 1992 presidential election. In the last three days of the election, all three candidates Bill Clinton, Ross Perot, and President George H.W. Bush, finished their campaign push with an interview with Larry.

He realized his host dream when Frank Sinatra joined him on the CNN set in 1988 in New York City. He began by asking Sinatra, “Why did you ask me on the phone if you can say pimps and whores on the show?” Sinatra replied, “Because I have another name for people that write kiss and tell books, they are pimps and whores.”

He was also at the ready when news broke, like the time we had Attorney General Janet Reno on, a guest he knew from his local radio days when she was Florida’s first female State Attorney. Reno was already booked to be on the night of the Waco, Texas siege, when cult leader David Koresh and his followers died in a mass suicide. It was April 19, 1993 and to her credit, Reno did not cancel. Larry covered the tragedy live on the air, and Reno talked to callers saying, “We tried to do everything that we could, but it is my decision. The buck stops with me.”

One of my favorite stories is when we expanded the global footprint of CNN and took the show to Japan. We decided to interview the top sumo wrestlers in the world. They were very difficult to book for the show, and we had to build a special set to accommodate their size. They arrived hangry and threatened to leave to find food. We didn’t realize until that moment they did not speak English. Larry played it perfectly, and made it all about the visual so no one noticed they were not actually speaking. We laughed about that one for a long time.

On a personal note, we used to go to Atlantic City to hang out with Don Rickles in his room and watch his show at night. Those were some of Larry’s happiest times. Don would tell stories about Frank Sinatra and Miami in the old days when it was a showbiz hub that included Jackie Gleason, Joan Rivers, Phyllis Diller and many other performers. They knew Larry’s radio show from a houseboat called Surfside 6.

Larry was not interested in the process of booking guests or producing the show, but he loved to win the bookings game. He was very competitive, which made us competitive. He was proud to hear when ABC’s Nightline producers started calling our control room to track down guests. We always tried to balance our guest line-up, moving between serious political and business leaders with entertainers and influencers. It was a big challenge to pull people out of their primetime network viewing habits.

Larry took tough issues and broke them down to what mattered to the people at home. He never shied away from admitting when he didn’t understand something. That endeared him not only to viewers but to his guests. He could be persistent but he also had a quality about him that just made people open up, telling him things they may never have said out loud before.

Larry King was exactly who you saw in every interview: curious, funny, smart, and right to the point. CBS News Sunday Morning correspondent Lee Cowan asked me what Larry would ask if he were interviewing God, I told him that was easy, “Why?”  He changed the broadcasting industry and is leaving behind big suspenders to fill. What a remarkable legacy, and what an honor it has been to be a part of his journey. As Larry remarked when he signed off after 25 years at CNN, “I don’t know what to say except to you, my audience, thank you. And instead of goodbye, how about so long?”

So long, my friend.

January 28, 2019 — If you want to know how some of the most successful people got to the top of the mountain, subscribe to Jennifer Morgan’s new podcast, A Call to Lead. She is SAP’s Americas’ President and the host of their SAPPHIRE NOW conference, where she interviews presidents, captains of industry, and the most fascinating people. Jen debuted as a member of Fortune’s Most Powerful Women list in 2018.

The podcast serves as the newest development of Jen’s annual discussion at SAP’s SAPPHIRE NOW conference — the world’s largest and most innovative business technology conference. From former U.S. presidents, first ladies, and secretaries of state to business titans from every industry and corner of the globe, Jen has hosted prestigious leaders and now she’s bringing the conversation to her new podcast, which is aimed at mid-career, emerging leaders.

A member of SAP’s Executive Board, Jen Morgan is one of the top female leaders in tech. In episode one, Jen sits down with Arianna Huffington of Thrive to discuss all things women in tech and to share Arianna’s keen business savvy for success with the next generation of emerging business leaders.

Fortune recently profiled Jen Morgan, highlighting:  “The first-ever American woman to sit on SAP’s executive board, Morgan is also known for investigating—and closing—SAP North America’s gender pay gap. A 2016 audit demonstrated the effectiveness of Morgan’s efforts. The results showed that more than 99% of its male and female employees in the U.S. were paid equally. Within the less than 1% that did not have pay parity, SAP said it “proactively” increased those employees’ compensation.”

Early interviews include Bobbi Brown, Gary Vaynerchuk, and Frances Frei.
Watch the trailer here.

A Call to Lead is available on iTunes, Google Play, and Stitcher.

About SAP

One of the world’s largest, most respected global tech companies, SAP serves more than 404,000 customers in over 180 countries. SAP runs the world’s largest business network, transacting more than $2 trillion in goods and service annually. Roughly 77% of the world’s transaction revenue touches an SAP system. SAP customers produce 78% of the world’s food. SAP facilitates the production and distribution of 82% of the world’s medical devices

Urban Radio Network’s April Ryan, a veteran White House correspondent, has released a new book, Under Fire: Reporting from the Front Lines of the Trump White House, giving readers an inside look at the trials and tribulations of reporting on the Trump White House. Ryan has been in the news recently with stories about her accusing the White House of attacking her due to her race, and since her profile has risen as the thorniest White House correspondent in the Trump White House briefing room, she has added a security team and travels with bodyguards.

In a new interview with NPR’s All Things Considered, Ryan discusses why this administration is different from any she has previously covered. She has been a White House Correspondent since the Clinton Administration. According to Ryan, there’s one question that she felt compelled to ask. “I have asked each administration the same questions except for one: ‘Mr. President, are you a racist?’” President Trump did not respond, he instead continued to shake hands with the guests.

Ryan details her contentious public relationship with Trump Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders. “She doesn’t even want to give me eye contact, but she can’t. I am in her line of sight, third row, smack dab in the middle. I don’t communicate with them anymore beyond the briefing room. I don’t go upstairs to see them — I haven’t for a long time.”

You can read April Ryan’s full interview here.

In the wake of Les Moonves departure, CBS has installed six new directors it hopes will help run a tighter ship at the network in the years to come.

The six board members entering CBS are Candace Beinecke, a partner at the law firm of Hughes Hubbard & Reed, Barbara Byrne, former vice chairman of Barclays and Council on Foreign Relations member, Brian Goldner, CEO of Hasbro, Richard D. Parsons, former Citigroup chairman & former Time Warner CEO, Susan Schuman, CEO of SYPartners, and Strauss Zelnick, the founder of the video game publisher Take-Two Interactive Software.

The board members leaving CBS to make room for the departures are Arnold Kopelson, Leonard Goldberg, Charles Gifford, David Andelman, and Doug Morris.

Women’s advocacy group UltraViolet, which previously called for the board to fire Les Moonves, said in a statement, “This is proof that the era where powerful men abused and harassed women without consequence is starting to come to an end, and a testament to the enduring strength and power of the #MeToo movement.”

You can read more on the CBS Board of Directors shakeup here.

American University has named Emmy Award-winning former “Meet the Press” executive producer Betsy Fischer Martin to the School of Public Affairs’ Women & Politics as their new executive director.

Vicky Wilkins, the dean of AU’s School of Public Affairs, said in a statement, “We were looking for an entrepreneurial leader who is passionate about the empowerment and representation of women, and Betsy combines all of those attributes. We are thrilled to have her back in the SPA community in this important leadership role.

Fischer Martin said of the appointment, “I can’t think of a more exciting time to be at the epicenter of a university that recognizes the importance of women’s political leadership and is dedicated to furthering academic research and empowering students and young women to engage in the political system. The fact that American University played such a significant role in shaping my career in political journalism makes returning to lead WPI all the more meaningful to me.”

American University’s Women & Politics Institute offers graduate and undergraduate certificates and provides training programs for female students who want to get involved in politics.

Martin is one of the longest serving Executive Producer of Meet The Press. She began at NBC as an intern while attending American University and was there for 11 years, working with Tim Russert during his legendary run as host. Martin also co-hosted the Bloomberg Politics podcast, “Masters in Politics” during the 2016 election.

The United States International Trade Commission has announced that it will block the Trump administration from implementing tariffs on newsprint from Canada, in a major win for the news industry and print publications.

The ITC voted 5-0 to reserve the tariffs due to a lobbying push from the News Media Alliance, an advocacy group fighting for the business interests of the news industry. NMA CEO David Chavern, in a letter to his staff, “We were able to develop a broad coalition of members of Congress — from both sides of the aisle — to not only support our view, but also testify before the ITC, advocate the Department of Commerce and introduce corrective legislation.” Chavern adds that the move is, “a great day for news publishing and journalism.”

NMA gathered 19 members of Congress from both parties to testify before the Commerce Department to urge them not to adopt these tariffs, which viewed as crippling to the news industry, especially print publications.

Chavern visited BNN Bloomberg to discuss what the latest development means for the news industry. You can watch his interview here.

The largest gathering of descendants of presidents gathered on the Kennedy Center stage for The Presidential Sites Summit. The once-every-two-years event hosts the operators and administrators of presidential libraries, historical sites, and the descendants of America’s presidents.

As part of the festivities, participants gathered at the Kennedy Center on Tuesday, August 28th. Kennedy Center president Deborah Rutter brought out Washington Post publisher Fred Ryan to welcome participants and kick off the night.

David Rubenstein, Chairman of the Board of Trustees at the Kennedy Center, then moderated a series of discussions including stories from the White House told by presidential descendants with Susan Ford Bales, Daughter of President Gerald R. Ford, Clifton Truman Daniel, Grandson of President Harry S. Truman, Massee McKinley, Descendant of Presidents William McKinley and Grover Cleveland, Lynda Johnson Robb, Daughter of President Lyndon B. Johnson, and Tweed Roosevelt, Great-grandson of President Theodore Roosevelt.

Rubenstein also hosted a discussion on “The White House Behind the Camera” featuring an introduction from Anita McBride, chair of the Presidential Sites Summit and the Chief of Staff to First Lady Laura Bush.

Panelists included Adan Canto, star of Designated Survivor, Tammy Haddad, President & CEO of Haddad Media and HBO, Mack McLarty, chairman of McLarty Associates, Chief of Staff to Bill Clinton, and consultant on Designated Survivor & White Down, Capricia Marshall, House of Cards consultant and Social Secretary to Bill Clinton, documentarian Kirk Saduski, and Jamie Vanderbilt, the writer and director of White House Down.

David Rubenstein asked Kirk Saduski, who produced the HBO miniseries’ John Adams and Band of Brothers, how hard it is to maintain accuracy when creating these films. Saduski agreed with Haddad that filmmakers demand precision in the way events in the White House are portrayed, from official White House protocols and hierarchies to the norms and social mores of living and working in the White House.

The segment ended with David Rubenstein telling his most embarrassing moments from working in the Carter White House.

You can watch more Presidential Sites Summit events live on CSPAN here.

 

Dog Tag Bakery, a disabled veterans hiring and education bakery, where President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden had lunch last month, is now accepting applications for the 2019 fellowship class. The application is open to all post-9/11 military veterans with service-connected disabilities, military spouses and/or caregivers.

Dog Tag works in partnership with Georgetown University to provide a professional development program designed for members of military families in order to help make the transition into the civilian workforce. The program combines business and entrepreneurship coursework, personal development opportunities, and hands-on rotations throughout Dog Tag Bakery, the small business venture.

During the Fellowship’s five months, fellows explore a variety of career paths and establish both personal and professional networks. When finished, the program provides graduates a certificate in Business Administration from the School of Continuing Studies at Georgetown University, scheduled rotations within different areas of the organization, as well as networking opportunities with business leaders and entrepreneurs. Being an alumnus of the Dog Tag Fellowship mean you will be business-ready, competitive, and employable.

You can read more about the Dog Tag Bakery Fellowship and apply here.

Interested in supporting the fellows? You can Visit, Donate, or have your event Catered with Dog Tag today! Together we are #BakingADifference in the lives of service-disabled veterans and military families!

Representatives from numerous social media and tech companies including Twitter, Google, Facebook, Microsoft, and Snapchat are convening in San Francisco on Friday, August 24th to discuss their strategy for the upcoming midterm elections. Invited by Nathaniel Gleicher, head of cybersecurity for Facebook, the representatives will assemble at Twitter headquarters for the talks.

According to emails obtained by Buzzfeed, “The meeting, the Facebook official wrote, will have a three-part agenda: each company will present the work they’ve been doing to counter information operations; there will be a discussion period for problems each company faces, and a talk about whether such a meeting should become a regular occurrence.”

These tech companies have come under intense scrutiny for their role in enabling misinformation to play a part in the 2016 election. The meeting comes days after Microsoft discovered and shut down six phishing sites registered by Russian military intelligence.

You can read more about the meeting here.

A post shared by President Donald J. Trump (@realdonaldtrump) on Aug 11, 2018 at 3:01pm PDT

Omarosa Manigault’s new book Unhinged: An Insider’s Account of the Trump White House says that Fox News managers send talking points to President Trump every day. Now a new report, by Hunter Schwartz from CNN’s Coverline, reveals from May 22nd to August 22nd President Donald Trump’s Instagram account has reposted 85 photos or videos from either Fox News, Fox Business, or “Fox & Friends,”. That’s about 24% of Trump’s 358-total posts in that time frame.

The pattern appears to be: Trump tweets, then Fox News turns the tweet into a graphic, sometime later the graphic ends up back on President Trump’s accounts, creating a type of social media feedback loop.

You can read more here.