Deborah Norville

Roger King died Saturday. If the lion is king of the jungle, then King was the lion of the television jungle. Roger was my boss. I think I only called him Mr. King once. He was—to everyone in the business—Roger. And to everyone in the business, Roger King was an icon. To me, he was more than that. I looked upon him as a friend. Read on ...

Roger hired me 13 years ago to become anchor of his baby: “Inside Edition.” It was a hire that was made between the first and second courses of a lunch we shared at New York’s 21 Club. It was Roger, his brother and partner Michael King, and me. I’d already been through several layers of interviews with King World brass and this was the final hurdle. After a few minutes of talk, Roger said to Michael, “Let’s go to the bathroom.” Michael said, “But I don’t need to go!” To which Roger insisted, “Yeah you do—come on.” When they returned, Roger offered me the job.

Roger was intense about the business and intensely proud: of his TV shows, of his ability to sell any show to anyone, of his encyclopedic knowledge of quarter-hour share and ratings points in obscure markets, and of his family. Especially his family. His exuberant wife, Raemali, and his adored daughters, especially my friend Kelly.

Early in my King World career, I had the pleasure of presenting to Roger an award for his father, the late Charles King, for his pioneering work in making the television syndication business the mega-giant it is. From the episodes of “Little Rascals” that Mr. King first sold, Roger and Michal grew the business by acquiring the rights to “Wheel of Fortune” and “Jeopardy!” … and the rest was television history. Roger shied away from accepting awards, but this one he happily accepted because it honored his father.

Later that evening, Roger regaled me with tales of the old days starting out. I retired that night impressed with the work ethic that was behind the company’s success and delighted with the humor that energized the man. God, Roger was funny!

When I first joined King World, I was at the NATPE programmers convention with my newborn baby in tow. Roger asked me to come up to his suite to meet an important station head—“and bring the baby,” I was ordered. Dutifully, I strollered up to the penthouse level of the Las Vegas Hilton and met the TV executive (who, as predicted, melted at the sight of a newborn baby). Having sufficiently buttered up the businessman, Roger then leaned down and whispered in my ear, “You better leave now—it’s going to get ugly.” Roger was going in for the kill—or sale. I knew he’d get the deal on his terms!

Roger’s list of successful shows is long. But there is only one show that was totally his creation: “Inside Edition.” Roger conceived the show and launched it in just months.
In a few weeks, we will mark the show’s 20th anniversary. “Inside Edition” is the nation’s longest-running syndicated newsmagazine, grabbing more than 5 million viewers daily—none more dedicated than Roger.

With Roger’s passing, television has lost a lion. No one was a fiercer competitor. No one was a more passionate salesman. Or passionate in general. There was nothing halfway about Roger King. He lived his life full-out, often in the red zone. He worked hard, partied hard, loved hard and lived hard. And now, his death is hard.

Hard for those of us who now have to say goodbye. When a man larger than life leaves this world, it leaves a larger-than-normal-sized hole.

In the jungle of television, Roger was the King. Now the lion sleeps. Roger—sleep well. You are missed already.

The weekend began with word that there would be no dollars for dish from soon-to-be freed inmate Paris Hilton. This news coming after at least two broadcast networks went to great pains to explain that any sums they had considered expending were just licensing fees for supporting materials -- NOT, of course, for an interview with a convicted criminal.

The statement from ABC that it had offered $100,000 for access to 'photos and videotapes' of Ms. Hilton couldn't help but look lame: We all know how difficult it is to get Paris Hilton to pause long enough for a lensman to snap a shot!

But the 'photos and videotapes' of Paris Hilton must be pretty darned good, given that the competing network, NBC, reportedly offered an 'other-galactic' sum, rumored by the New York Times to be north of $750,000. 'Could it be,' inquiring minds might speculate, 'that another 'sex-tape' exists?'. Surely baby pictures and videos of family moments (think blowing out birthday candles and opening gifts Christmas morning) aren't that eye-popping. If so, every American's net worth just jumped by the same percentages as the new moguls at The Blackstone Group.

No. Even the most gullible could see through this one and the view wasn't pretty. Based on statements attributed to ABC and reported by the Times, the picture painted was one of a celebrity shopping for a media deal like she was looking for a new pair of Manolos and dictating who would be asking the questions. Would NBC actually agree to pay in the neighborhood of a million dollars? Was Meredith Viera the designated interrogator because she'd been less disparaging than Today partner Matt Lauer? The speculation alone does huge damage to NBC and Ms. Viera, who had acquitted herself admirably since assuming her new role.

NBC News says it "never has, never will" pay for interviews. A rep for the Hiltons issues a similar disclaimer: "Paris Hilton is not being paid for any television interview."

But it's not hard to envision a scenario in which representatives of Paris Hilton might be seeking compensation for an interview. Ours has become a world in which mini-celebs are paid to show up at parties, a place where get-out-of-jail/just-sprung-from-rehab parties are sponsored by the highest bidders.

Only thing about all of this, it's dumb money. For a nanosecond, does anyone believe Paris Hilton will come out of jail and NOT talk? Heck, she's already done TWO interviews for free while behind bars! Why pay for what will inevitably happen gratis (and it is, on "Larry King Live")? The SMART money would keep the checkbook in the desk and the microphones tucked inside the news van. She'll talk -- she can't help herself. And it won't cost anyone a thing.

Except -- it already has cost dearly. Both ABC and NBC appear, in some capacity, to have been willing players in a bidding war to talk to a criminal. The numbers vary, but it all reminds of the punch line of a long ago joke: 'Now that we've established what you are, we can negotiate the price.' Meredith Viera appears to have been unfairly diminished ... if only because she was reportedly deemed 'acceptable' to conduct the interview. I bet she's feeling pretty steamed.

Both networks, each with an impressive legacy of excellent programming and insightful journalism, are diminished. In the hubbub of the race to nail Paris -- the interview, of course -- excellent recent work, including Diane Sawyer's reports from Syria and North Korea or Ann Curry's gutsy trips to The Sudan, are easily forgotten.

Forgotten, as well, the reason those news divisions were created in the first place -- or for whom those broadcast licenses are granted. It's the public. The public may be 'curious' about this odd creation of the celeb-obssessed media, but they know the soon-to-be-released criminal has little to do with their lives. They also know funds which could have been budgeted for stories about issues that ARE germaine are being foolishly deployed.

Like I said ... it was dumb money.

Maybe now it is news --

I was just sitting down to write my inaugural blog entry for TelevisionWeek when the news hit. My plan had been to talk wistfully about what I call "The Paris Pledge." It was a pie-in-the-sky idea of mine that all of us in the media business would place our rights hands on the Nielsen Bible and pledge NOT to cover any comings and goings of Paris Hilton. (To the list one might also consider adding such 'luminaries' of the night scene as Lindsay Lohan, Britney Spears, Nicole Richie and others less front page/section A material to mention.) To such party princesses, publicity is oxygen and perhaps, I fantasized, if we deprived them of a few column inches and a couple of minutes of TV time -- they might-- just MIGHT-- suffocate a bit and slink back into whatever alcohol-soaked VIP section from which they came.

Okay. I said it was pie-in-the-sky. I, as well as anyone, know the party princesses are 'crack' to which we in the syndicated magazine world had become addicted. "We" may think the Paris/Lindsay/Britney story beneath us and hold our nose as we broadcast it -- but we know if we don't do the story, our competitors will -- and the viewers will lunge for the television remote to change to THEIR channel. So we show the princess preening for the cameras ...and feel uneasy for having broadcast it.

With Paris in jail, I thought, 'We don't have to do a Hilton story!'. And thanks to a cosmic alignment of the paparazzi stars, Lindsay Lohan was in rehab and out of the limelight too. 'Had Christmas come early,' I naively wondered?

An informal poll of my friends both in syndication and at the network level revealed they shared my queasiness at these kinds of stories. One likened the feeling after putting the party princesses on the air to that horrible feeling one has after doing more than just kissing on a first date: you feel just awful about yourself but the dirty deed is done.

With more than a touch of Pollyanna, I mused, "Perhaps since we in the media created this Paris phenomenon ... we could also make it go away." At the very least, my plan with this column was to give a second variation of the "Paris Pledge:". If TV shows can't promise NOT to air vapid stories about Paris/Lindsay/Britney, then let us pledge that for every "party princess" story we air, we ALSO find time for a piece about a young person who's doing the RIGHT things. Have you heard about 18-year-old Henry Schwartz of Menomonie, Wisconsin? He started a skateboard business when he was 15 and turned a profit his first summer in business. Or what about Michael Holeman from Gainesville, Georgia? He’s the youth president for a group called Straight Teen which gives kids an alternative to hanging out on the streets. Michael’s given more than 1100 hours in community service. Henry and Michael – now THEY are role models to believe in.

But that was before Thursday's headline. At 2:09am LA time, Ms. Hilton was released from jail, remanded to house arrest at her Hollywood Hills home. Whether it was a rash, a near breakdown or some other medical condition was uncertain. What WAS immediately clear was that the rules for the rest of the world don't apply to Ms. Hilton.

In a weird way, maybe Christmas HAD come early after all.

Now FINALLY, for the first time in her red carpet laden life, Ms. Hilton is a legitimate story.

• Why did LA County Sheriff Lee Baca feel 72 hours behind bars in solitary was sufficient? A personal note, I spent 5 days in jail for Inside Edition and would have given ANYTHING to be in solitary -- the most frightening thing about jail is the other inmates.)

• Was her psychiatrist instrumental in persuading the Sheriff to alter the terms of her confinement? How does Paris mental state differ from that of any of other inmates in the LA County Jail?

• Justice department statistics reveal a large percentage of inmates suffer from medical maladies -- very few receive a discharge from a lock down facility as a result. How will the Department defend itself against accusations of a double standard? Rene Seidel, a director of the LA County Department of Health Services is quoted as saying he “never heard” of an inmate getting a release for medical reasons.

Paris Hilton's famous for ... well, being famous. Her efforts at singing and acting have been, well... efforts. Especially for the audience. But she is very good at finding the spotlight, drawn to a photographer's flash like a moth to a porch light on a hot summer night. But when a moth gets too close to that hot light, it doesn't always end well for the moth.

It is a cautionary tale for Ms. Hilton. She may find her latest actions attract so bright a spotlight that even the glittering 'party princess' finds herself wearing rags. Because THIS time ... perhaps for the FIRST time ... Paris Hilton is a story.