Larry King

=== Miami radio and television ===
A [[CBS]] production supervisor, [[James F. Sirmons]], suggested he go to Florida which was a growing [[media market]] with openings for inexperienced broadcasters. King went to Miami, and after initial setbacks, he gained his first job in radio. The manager of a small station, WAHR<ref name="fussman">{{cite video |last= King |first= Larry |interviewer= Cal Fussman |title= Larry King on Getting Seduced |url= https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1yD8PzFFNFU#t=226 |publisher= [[PBS Digital Studios]] |location= Los Angeles |date= 2001 |work= Blank on Blank |access-date= July 23, 2014 |archive-date= January 3, 2021 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20210103105250/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1yD8PzFFNFU#t=226 |url-status= live |via=YouTube |transcript-url=https://blankonblank.org/interviews/larry-king-on-getting-seduced/ |transcript=Transcript}}</ref> (now [[WMBM]])<ref name=dn21>{{cite web|first=Richard |last=Wagoner |url=https://www.dailynews.com/2021/01/25/remembering-larry-king-and-the-success-of-his-nationwide-radio-show/ |title=Remembering Larry King and the success of his nationwide radio show – Daily News |publisher=Dailynews.com |date=January 25, 2021 |access-date=February 12, 2021}}</ref> in [[Miami Beach, Florida|Miami Beach]], hired him to clean up and perform [[miscellaneous]] tasks.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.whyfame.com/celebrities/television/larry_king_60696.php |title=Larry King Biography |publisher=WhyFame |access-date=February 18, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100410051118/http://www.whyfame.com/celebrities/television/larry_king_60696.php |archive-date=April 10, 2010 }}</ref> When one of the station's announcers abruptly quit, King was put on the air. His first broadcast was on May 1, 1957, working as the disc jockey from 9&nbsp;a.m. to noon.<ref>{{cite web|first=Caitlin A.|last=Johnson|url=http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/02/28/earlyshow/leisure/books/main2523708.shtml|title=Larry King Celebrates 50 Years On Air|work= [[CBS News]]|date= February 11, 2009|access-date= February 18, 2012}}</ref> He also did two afternoon newscasts and a sportscast. He was paid $50 a week.

He acquired the name Larry King when the general manager declared that Zeiger was too difficult to remember<ref>{{cite web|author=Christina and Jordana |url=http://www.schemamag.ca/archive2/2010/07/goodbye_larry_king_1.php |title=Goodbye Larry King |work=Schema Magazine |date=July 5, 2010 |access-date=February 18, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100716000131/http://www.schemamag.ca/archive2/2010/07/goodbye_larry_king_1.php |archive-date=July 16, 2010 }}</ref> ("too German, too Jewish and not showbusiness enough"<ref name="Telegraph"/>), so minutes before airtime, Larry chose the surname "King", which he got from an advertisement in the ''[[Miami Herald]]'' for King's Wholesale Liquor.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.eonline.com/news/1223720/inside-larry-kings-towering-legacy-an-intrepid-interviewer-who-just-loved-to-ask-questions |title=Inside Larry King's Towering Legacy: An Intrepid Interviewer Who Just Loved to Ask Questions |last=Finn |first=Natalie |date=January 23, 2021 |website=[[E!]] |access-date=January 10, 2024}}</ref> Within two years, he legally changed his name to Larry King.<ref name=ss2>{{cite web|url=http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/1988-01-31/features/8801070156_1_larry-king-larry-zeiger-oral-roberts/2|title=The Nine Lives Of Larry King|newspaper=[[Sun Sentinel]]|access-date=November 2, 2015|archive-date=October 18, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151018022909/http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/1988-01-31/features/8801070156_1_larry-king-larry-zeiger-oral-roberts/2|url-status=live}}</ref>

He began to conduct interviews on a mid-morning show for [[WIOD]], at Pumpernik's Restaurant in Miami Beach.<ref>{{cite web|author=Pekkanen, John |url=http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20075993,00.html|title=While Most of America Sleeps, Larry King Talks to Six Million People All Through the Night| work = [[People (magazine)|People]] |date=March 10, 1980|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160317184932/http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20075993,00.html|access-date= February 18, 2012|archive-date=March 17, 2016}}</ref> He would interview whoever walked in. His first interview was with a waiter at the restaurant.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.brooklynwaterbagels.com/larry_king.php |title=Legendary Talk Show Host Larry King Joins the Original Brooklyn Water Bagel Co. |publisher=Brooklyn Water Bagel Co. |access-date=February 18, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111214030325/http://www.brooklynwaterbagels.com/larry_king.php |archive-date=December 14, 2011 }}</ref> Two days later, singer [[Bobby Darin]], in Miami for a concert that evening, walked into [[Pumpernik's]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://wlrn.org/post/key-facts-miamis-delis-yore-deli-historian-ted-merwin|title=Key Facts Of Miami's Delis Of Yore, From Deli Historian Ted Merwin|first=Trina|last=Sargalski|website=wlrn.org|date=November 22, 2013|access-date=July 25, 2017|archive-date=January 3, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210103105202/https://www.wlrn.org/culture/2013-11-22/key-facts-of-miamis-delis-of-yore-from-deli-historian-ted-merwin|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://restaurant-ingthroughhistory.com/tag/pumperniks/|title=Pumperniks - Restaurant-ing through history|website=restaurant-ingthroughhistory.com|access-date=July 25, 2017|archive-date=January 3, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210103105200/https://restaurant-ingthroughhistory.com/tag/pumperniks/|url-status=live}}</ref> having heard King's radio show; Darin became King's first celebrity interview guest.<ref name="Brounstein"/><ref>{{cite web|first=Larry |last=King |url=http://articles.cnn.com/2009-05-05/entertainment/larry.king.book.radio_1_larry-king-show-theme-song-larry-zeiger?_s=PM:SHOWBIZ |title=Excerpt: How I Became Larry King |work=CNN|date=May 5, 2009 |access-date=February 18, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120326161423/http://articles.cnn.com/2009-05-05/entertainment/larry.king.book.radio_1_larry-king-show-theme-song-larry-zeiger?_s=PM%3ASHOWBIZ |archive-date=March 26, 2012 }}</ref>

King's Miami radio show brought him local attention. A few years later, in May 1960, he hosted ''Miami Undercover'', airing Sunday nights at 11:30&nbsp;p.m. on WPST-TV Channel 10 (now [[WPLG]]).<ref>{{cite web|first=Jon|last=Bershad|url=http://www.mediaite.com/tv/from-the-mediaite-vault-larry-king-takes-on-gangsters-and-loses-in-1961/|title=From the Mediaite Vault: Larry King Takes on Gangsters (and Loses) in 1961| work = [[Mediaite]] (blog)|date= June 30, 2010|access-date=February 18, 2012}}</ref>

King credited his success on local television to the assistance of comedian [[Jackie Gleason]], whose national television variety show was being taped in Miami Beach beginning in 1964. "That show really took off because Gleason came to Miami," King said in a 1996 interview he gave when inducted into the Broadcasters' Hall of Fame. "He did that show and stayed all night with me. We stayed till five in the morning. He didn't like the set, so we broke into the general manager's office and changed the set. Gleason changed the set, he changed the lighting, and he became like a mentor of mine."<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.achievement.org/autodoc/page/kin0int-1 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19980201214239/http://www.achievement.org/autodoc/page/kin0int-1 |url-status=dead |archive-date=February 1, 1998 |title=The Interview King |publisher=[[Academy of Achievement]] |date=June 29, 1996 |access-date=March 3, 2008 }}</ref>

During this period, WIOD gave King further exposure as a [[color commentator]] for the [[Miami Dolphins]] of the [[National Football League]], during their 1970 season and most of their 1971 season.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dlife.com/diabetes/famous_people/writers_reporters_editors/larry_king|title=Larry King – Talk Show Host|publisher=dLife|access-date=February 18, 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111217061540/http://www.dlife.com/diabetes/famous_people/writers_reporters_editors/larry_king|archive-date=December 17, 2011}}</ref> However, he was dismissed by both WIOD and television station [[WTVJ]] as a late-night radio host and sports commentator as of December 20, 1971, when he was arrested after being accused of [[grand larceny]] by a former business partner, [[Louis Wolfson]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thesmokinggun.com/mugshots/celebrity/television/larry-king|title=Larry King|website= [[The Smoking Gun]]|access-date= February 18, 2012|date=July 13, 2010}}</ref><ref name=ss3/> Other staff covered the [[Dolphins–Jets rivalry|Dolphins]]' games into their 24–3 loss to Dallas in [[Super Bowl VI]]. King also lost his weekly column at the ''Miami Beach Sun'' newspaper. The charges were dropped.<ref name=ss3>{{cite web|url=http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/1988-01-31/features/8801070156_1_larry-king-larry-zeiger-oral-roberts/3|title=The Nine Lives Of Larry King|work=[[Sun Sentinel]]|access-date=November 2, 2015|archive-date=June 30, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150630094209/http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/1988-01-31/features/8801070156_1_larry-king-larry-zeiger-oral-roberts/3|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=gq09/> Eventually, King was rehired by WIOD.<ref name=ss3/> For several years during the 1970s, he hosted a sports talk-show called "Sports-a-la-King" that featured guests and callers.<ref name="Brounstein">{{cite web |url= https://soaphub.com/entertainment/larry-king-a-beloved-talk-show-icon-has-passed-away-at-age-87/ |date=January 23, 2021 |title=Larry King, A Beloved Talk Show Icon, Has Passed Away At Age 87 |first1=Diane |last1=Brounstein |publisher=soaphub.com}}</ref>