Legendary Host Larry King Back in Interview Chair for Conversation with Award-Winning Late-Night PBS Talk Show Host Tavis Smiley

LOS ANGELES, April 5, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Legendary talk-show host Larry King turns the tables on noted broadcaster Tavis Smiley for two nights of great conversation on the award-winning nightly, national program Tavis Smiley on PBS. This will be the first interview conducted by King since retiring from CNN, where he spent 25 years as host of the late-night talk show Larry King Live.

This is also the first time Tavis Smiley has been interviewed on his own program.  Their conversation will air Thursday, April 7th and Friday, April 8th on THIRTEEN in New York and on PBS stations across the country.  

"Larry King was an inspiration for me when I started my own late-night talk show eight years ago," noted Smiley.  "One of the highlights of my broadcast career was the opportunity to periodically guest host for Larry King on CNN. It is an honor to now have him interview me on my program. It will be two great nights of conversation as we reflect on our combined 70+ years of broadcasting experience."

Later this year, Tavis Smiley celebrates 20 years in broadcasting, while Larry King started his broadcasting career in the 1950s. As host of Larry King Live, CNN's first worldwide phone-in TV talk show, the Emmy Award-winning host spoke with some of the hottest names in entertainment, politics and news.  King, dubbed by TIME magazine as the "master of the mic", has done over 40,000 interviews including exclusive sit-downs with every U.S. president since Gerald Ford.  King recently announced a stand-up comedy tour, "Larry King: Stand-Up," that begins April 14th in Torrington, CT and wraps up June 11th at the Mirage in Las Vegas.

In addition to the comedy tour, King will host the Peabody Awards in New York City, May 23rd and will serve as a contributor to The Daily Show with Jon Stewart.  

Since the debut of Tavis Smiley in 2004, the nightly 30-minute national talk program has offered the viewer a unique hybrid of news, issues and entertainment, featuring interviews with politicians, entertainers, athletes, authors and other newsmakers. Tavis Smiley was named to TIME's list of 100 "Most Influential People in the World" in 2009.  2011 marks Smiley's 20 years in the broadcasting business that began with a one-minute commentary on a local Los Angeles radio station and grew to hosting a national late-night talk show on Black Entertainment Television (BET), contributing roles on CNN and ABC, and hosting a syndicated radio program on National Public Radio (NPR).  Smiley's 20th anniversary in broadcasting will be celebrated November 2011 with a star-studded event for PBS.

The failures Smiley made along his own 20 year journey will be featured in a forthcoming book, FAIL UP: 20 Lessons on Building Success from Failure due for a May 1st release.  Smiley is also the author/editor of 15 books, including The New York Times best-sellers Covenant with Black America and What I Know for Sure: My Story of Growing Up in America.  In addition to his current PBS television program, Tavis Smiley hosts The Tavis Smiley Show and his newest radio program Smiley & West, co-hosted by his dear friend Cornel West, one of America's most provocative intellectuals. Both programs are distributed by Public Radio International (PRI).

For more information, visit www.tavistalks.com.

About TAVIS SMILEY on PBS

TAVIS SMILEY is a unique hybrid of news, issues and entertainment, featuring interviews with politicians, entertainers, athletes, authors and other newsmakers. In 2009, Tavis Smiley was named to TIME's list of 100 "Most Influential People in the World."

TAVIS SMILEY is produced by The Smiley Group, Inc. / TS Media, Inc. in association with WNET/ New York. Major funding is provided by Wal-Mart and Nationwide Insurance. Additional support comes from PBS.   The 30-minute program airs weeknights on PBS. To get local listings and to watch past episodes, please visit www.pbs.org/tavis.

SOURCE WNET/TS Media, Inc.