NEWS & DOCUMENTARY NEWS & DOCUMENTARY - TVWeek

32nd Annual
NEWS &
DOCUMENTARY
EMMY®AWARDS
EMMY AWARDS
TRIBUTES
and enduring hope. I believe the main reason so many people watched
Larry’s show every day was because they knew Larry indentified with
them—he asked the questions they were interested in, and he trusted
them to draw their own conclusions.
Sometimes other newscasters accused Larry of going too easy on his
guests, because he gave them the chance to express themselves in their
own words and finish their thoughts. I think his guests revealed more
about themselves, their opinions, and their actions than they would
have trying to answer questions from people who were constantly
interrupting them. There is a lot of that on television now. It is often
fact-free, occasionally entertaining, rarely educational, and painfully
predictable.
Larry believed honest conversation was its own reward. He was right,
and because he stuck with it, we were enriched by Larry King for a long
time.
Bill Clinton, the founder of the William J. Clinton Foundation, was the
42nd president of the United States.
Thank You Larry!
The Larry King Scholarship Fund at the George
Washington University School of Media and
Public Affairs has provided more than three
dozen scholarship awards to undergraduate
and graduate students.
10 National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences
Tough But Fair By Billy Graham
Dear Larry,
Congratulations on receiving this well-deserved Lifetime Achievement
Award, capping an extraordinary career in broadcasting.
I remember the first time you interviewed me on radio 40 years
ago. Your questions were tough—but fair—and I tried to respond with
answers that were equally challenging from a
Christian point of view. I knew that I had been
conversing with one of the greatest presenters
to ever interview me. As the years passed,
we became personal friends. I always looked
forward to appearing with you, and regularly
pray for you.
When I was last on your set in 2005 prior
to my final crusade in New York City, you
confirmed that was our 24th interview together, and that I was your
most frequent guest, though I am not sure your staff would have agreed.
You later referred to me as “our biggest viewer.” Ruth and I would tune
in every night, and while watching we would pray for you, your guests
and your audience. Needless to say, your retirement came as a blow to
me; I feel like you’re a member of our family.
I have also enjoyed meeting your children and your wife.
Regardless of the scheduled topic, I recall there being an event preoccupying
everyone’s attention on virtually every occasion I appeared
on your program. These included times of world crises, involving war,
nuclear stand-offs or the death of Pope John Paul II; and national events,
such as the Columbine shootings, the Oklahoma City bombing, political
conventions and Presidential Inaugurations.
You’ve always had a keen interest in matters of faith, and many
reccurring themes permeated our on-air discussions and private
conversations, including the presence of evil; the role of religion in
a pluralistic society; prayer in public schools; the political/moral
condition of our world; the subject of death; and the reality of heaven.
You helped me to be understood by countless people who weren’t sure
what an evangelist was.
You have a curious mind from which you always generate such
penetrating questions, and I have always appreciated the objectivity with
which you deal with every guest. You once told me about your practice
of never reading a book prior to interviewing an author. You explained
you prefer to ask questions that arise out of the conversation on behalf
of viewers who hadn’t read it either, adding, “Whether or not I read the
book depends on how interesting the interview was.”
I recall one interview in the late 80s as I was en route to hold an
evangelistic crusade at an outdoor stadium, when you asked whether
we expected good weather for our meetings the following week. When
I replied that we were praying to that end, you shot back, “How can you
thank God for sunshine if you don’t blame Him for the rain?” I had to
admit that is a question I need to ask the Lord when He takes me to
heaven. The Bible contains many mysteries we don’t fully understand—