I watched Larry King interview Ingrid Betancourt about her rescue after over six years as a hostage of Columbian guerrillas. It's a fascinating story. But I was thinking about viewers in other countries who watched this, wondering what they thought of Larry King. They knew Ingrid Betancourt would be interviewed by a popular American TV personality. But then they see this shriveled up old guy with big glasses, and probably couldn't help thinking, "What's with this guy? Why is he so popular?"

That would be a first impression. Those of us who grew up with Larry King recognize him as a masterful interviewer (who gets criticized for doing softball interviews, but get over it; softball is what he's good at). I wonder how long he'll still be around, or when he'll wear out his elbows from leaning on them. I rarely watch him anymore. Almost never, in fact. But he's still The King.