Via Politico’s Playbook:

PAM STEVENS will be Senior Planning/Editorial Producer for MSNBC’s new Lawrence O’Donnell show, launching Sept. 27. Pam is a former Deputy Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs at State, and Assistant Press Secretary and Director of TV for President George W. Bush. She also worked in the Reagan White House and for 10 years at CNN for Larry King, Wolf Blitzer and Bob Novak.

Once news became public this past Tuesday that longtime CNN host Larry King would be leaving his show this fall, we reached out to the PR consigliere behind King and many other bold-faced names: Howard Rubenstein.

“Larry is one of the most engaging clients I’ve ever represented,” Rubenstein told us in an e-mail. “He has such vast experience and knowledge that he can speak with authority on hundreds of current issues. And not only that, he’s extremely charitable; giving speeches to worthy groups and tremendously improving their fundraising capacities.”

So what’s next for King? He has already committed to doing occasional specials for CNN, reports TVNewser, and his agreement with the network allows him to also work elsewhere as soon as this Fall, provided it isn’t at a direct CNN competitor such as MSNBC or Fox News.

Also, don’t rule out paid spokesman gigs in King’s future. “He could be the spokesman on television for any product,” Rubenstein told the New York Post, but added, “He doesn’t want to lose his credibility…It has to be real.” Deadline.com is already reporting that King has become a financial partner in The Original Brooklyn Water Bagel Company.

Rubenstein will continue to be a careful protector of the King brand, especially since the two have shared roots. “Larry and I share our childhood experiences in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn,” he said. “We had the same friends and we both played basketball at the Jewish Community House in that neighborhood. Larry is modest, bold, different and came to his enormous success from a poor beginning. He’s lived the American dream and is an inspiration to millions.”

Larry King, a CNN staple for 25 years, has announced that he will be leaving his nightly talk show this Fall. He will transition to a part-time role at the network, hosting occasional specials tied to breaking news and events.

King has been represented by Howard Rubenstein for quite some time. We’ve reached out to him for comment.

As one PR executive remarked to PRNewser, “King is usually the first place to go when you need an extended amount of time to tell a story.” TVNewser has much more.

After the jump, the media alert sent out last night at 7:34 p.m. Eastern Time by King’s CNN publicist Ryan Jimenez.

Read more

Kitty Kelly is back at it again with her unauthorized biography on Oprah Winfrey.

The well-known author, who has penned bios of Frank Sinatra and Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, among others, has some bold allegations about Oprah in her book, which she says led to some top-tier media outlets refusing to have her on for an interview, in a show of solidarity with Oprah.

At least one show — CNN’s Larry King — questioned Kelly’s claims of being turned down for an interview. A CNN insider told Galleycat, “Larry King hasn’t spoken with Kitty Kelley in five years.”

mediabistro.com interviewed Kelly yesterday for the latest installment of our Media Beat video interview show, scheduled to air beginning Monday. mediabistro.com senior editor Donya Blaze asked Kelly during the interview if she thought writing the book would harm her own career. She said no.

Meanwhile, AdAge‘s Michael Bush spoke with several PR executives who said the allegations in the book will have zero influence on Oprah’s reputation, but of course, will help sales of the book.

Howard Rubenstein knows better than to fuel any fires when dealing with his cadre of high profile clients.

The PR guru issued this brief statement to media on behalf of client, CNN’s Larry King, who just filed for his 8th divorce:

His major concern is the welfare of his children, and beyond that he’s not going to comment about the divorce.

TVNewser has more.

A high profile biographer, Kitty Kelley, is about to release a much anticipated, albeit unauthorized biography of one of the biggest names in media, Oprah Winfrey. One would think all of the big talk shows would be eager to have her on during the promotional tour for the book. Not so.

Galleycat highlights the following excerpt from an interview with the NY Times, in which Kelley says, “In promoting this book, we have already been told by Barbara Walters‘s producer, No, you cannot be on The View, I cannot disrupt my relationship with Oprah. Joy Behar, the same thing. Charlie Rose; Larry King said, I will not do it, it might upset Oprah. Even David Letterman.”

Kelley’s Winfrey biography debuts on April 13. In mid-April, mediabistro.com will feature an exclusive Media Beat interview with the biographer about the book.

Miss (conservative) California Carrie Prejean‘s 15 minutes have been extended due largely to the unearthing of a sex tape, and to the publication of her book “Still Standing.”

The over-coached beauty queen botched an attempt to “draw the foul” from Larry King on CNN last night. From the looks of it, she was relying on a handler to guide her through what she expected to be a contentious interview. No one told either party that King is the place to go when you need a long time to sell your side of a controversy.

King asked Prejean a simple question about what motivated both parties to settle the suit and counter-suit over her lost crown.

Notice at 1:15 in to the interview, Prejean nods offscreen, presumably to her publicist. She repeatedly calls the befuddled King “inappropriate” before removing her mic. “Who are you talking to?” asks King after he tries to apologize and continue the interview.

[via Air America]