TEHRAN, Jan. 23 (MNA) – Larry King, the American broadcaster and cable news interviewer of celebrities and public figures, has died at the age of 87.

He had been hospitalized at Cedars-Sinai medical center in Los Angeles with symptoms of the coronavirus, the Guardian reported.

A statement on King’s social media accounts confirmed the news on Saturday.

“For 63 years,” it said, “and across the platforms of radio, television and digital media, Larry’s many thousands of interviews, awards and global acclaim stand as a testament to his unique and lasting talent as a broadcaster.”

With his trademark suspenders, gravelly Brooklyn accent, and under-prepared questioning – he often said he preferred entering an interview knowing no more than his audience, so he could ask the questions they would – King became, over the course of six decades, one of America’s most recognizable media figures. At its height, his flagship CNN show, Larry King Live, which he hosted for 25 years, drew 1.5 million viewers a night.

FA/PR