Larry King On RT: U.S. Talk Show King Joins Russian Network

American television icon Larry King has announced that he will join Russia Today (RT), an autonomous non-profit organization funded by the Federal Agency on Press and Mass Communications of the Russian Federation. RT will air a new show Politics with Larry King, which will be produced by Ora TV, as well as Larry King Now, which was launched by Ora TV and HULU in July.

King says that he is “thrilled [to have] the opportunity to talk politics with some of the most influential people in Washington and around the country” and revels in the opportunity to once again provide “a platform to those with alternative visions for our country’s future.” While the prospect of having a newsman of King’s caliber return to nightly television is heartening, many wonder whether King will truly be given an unobstructed platform from which to report given the Russian government’s tenuous relationship with their national media.

King has pointed to his desire to “ask questions to people in positions of power, instead of speaking on their behalf” as his motivation to restarting his distinguished career as a talk-show host, adding that this show will take a completely new look at how modern politics is discussed. While the forum and network may be different, viewers can continue to count on King’s frank interviewing style that first brought him to prominence over 25 years ago, and one that ensures viewers will have their most pertinent questions answered. Unlike his previous program on CNN, King’s newest venture will be a politics-only program, deviating from his previous format that also included popular culture interviews.

The producer of King’s new shows Ora TV is a venture funded by Carlos Slim Helu, the world’s richest man and the owner of Mexican telecommunications giants Telmex and América Móvil. No premiere date or broadcast schedule has been specified.