TABLE OF CONTENTS  |  FRONT PAGE  |  NEXT ARTICLE |  PREVIOUS ARTICLE  |  UNC HOMEPAGE

CNN's Larry King to discuss ethics in TV news


Larry King, host of CNN's Larry King Live, will speak on ethics in today's television news at the University Oct. 20. The free public speech, at 3 p.m. in Memorial Hall, will be the inaugural event in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication's Earl Wynn Distinguished Lecture Series, honoring the founder of Carolina's former radio, television and motion picture department. Seating will be limited to the first 425 to arrive.

King, CNN's top-rated on-air personality, has interviewed more than 35,000 people -- including presidents, kings, movie stars, war heroes and political candidates -- since his program debuted in 1985. Larry King Live, the first worldwide, live television call-in interview program, airs weeknights at 9 p.m. King also hosts Larry King Weekend on CNN and does specials for CNN's sister network, TNT. He writes a weekly newspaper column for USA Today and has written 11 books. King has worked in broadcasting for more than 40 years. In 1997 he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for his life's work. He has been inducted into five of the nation's broadcasters' halls of fame, and his radio and television shows have won the George Foster Peabody Award for Excellence in Broadcasting.

Among his other honors, he received a news and documentary Emmy Award for outstanding interview/interviewer; 10 Cable Ace awards for best interviewer and best talk show series; the Scopus Award from the American Friends of Hebrew University; and the American Academy of Achievement's Golden Plate Award.

Before becoming a national celebrity, King was a popular media personality in Miami. For 16 years he hosted Mutual Radio's "The Larry King Show." In 1994, King created the first daily radio-TV talk show by simulcasting his TV show on radio stations nationwide.

King's Carolina visit will coincide with the first reunion of University alumni who earned degrees in the radio, television and motion picture department, which the late Wynn founded in 1945. The department was disbanded in 1993. Many broadcast courses and some faculty moved to the School of Journalism and Mass Communication. Other electronic communication courses moved to the then-new communication studies department, formerly the department of speech communication.

Wynn, a pioneer in developing the statewide public television network and the University's FM radio station, sought to train students for serious careers in broadcasting and motion pictures. His department produced successful film and TV producers, station owners and managers, writers and on-air and film talent.

More than 250 friends, alumni and faculty donated to the lecture series to honor Wynn's memory. The effort was led by Richard Cole, dean of the school; Wynn's widow, Rhoda Hunter Wynn; and H. Taylor "Bud" Vaden, a former student of Wynn's.


TABLE OF CONTENTS  |  FRONT PAGE  |  NEXT ARTICLE |  PREVIOUS ARTICLE  |  UNC HOMEPAGE