TOM SNYDER : Once Again, He’s the Talk of the Town

It’s a new tomorrow for Tom Snyder. The veteran broadcaster kicks off his new weeknight talk series, “The Tom Snyder Show,” Monday on cable’s CNBC.

The program, which joins the network’s roster of such live interactive talk programs as “Pozner/Donohue” and “Talk Live,” will feature guests as well as viewer call-ins.

Snyder, a native of Milwaukee, began his broadcasting career in 1955 as a roving news correspondent for Milwaukee radio station WRIT-AM. In 1970, he was named anchor of KNBC-TV’s 6 p.m. newscast.

Snyder is best known as the host of the late NBC talk show “Tomorrow,” which aired after “The Tonight Show” from 1973 to 1982. During his tenure at NBC, he also inaugurated the NBC weekly magazine series “Prime Time” and hosted several network specials. In addition, he anchored the Sunday edition of “NBC Nightly News.”

From October, 1987, until last November, he hosted a nightly ABC Radio Network program, “The Tom Snyder Show.”

Snyder chatted about his new talk series over the phone with Times Staff Writer Susan King.

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How did your new show evolve?

I have a friend at CNBC whose name is Andy Friendly. He was involved with “The Tomorrow Show” and was involved with a program I did 12 years ago for NBC called “Prime Time.” He was involved with a number of specials we did for NBC, celebrity interview specials. Then we went our separate ways.

He finally wound up at CNBC. He has been calling me for years saying, “You know, I would love to do something with you here.” When the radio show went away in November, he was on the phone again. I said, “Let’s sit down and talk.”

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Can you discuss the format?

It will be live from Los Angeles. If you ask me what we are going to do, I not know just yet. We just opened the office, and we are trying to book some guests, and we won’t necessarily have guests all the time. We (may) just revert to the radio format, with the viewers and TS all alone on the telephone on the toll-free exchange (talking about) whatever is on their mind. We will see what happens.

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Talk shows, especially daytime talk shows, seem to thrive on outrageousness. How have talk shows changed since you began “Tomorrow” 20 years ago?

We did all of that stuff (talk shows do now) back then. Our first show was group marriages but--I don’t know--there is a way that it’s done now where it is more sensational.

We did it to attract viewers, of course we did, but somehow it is different now in that they get actual participants to come and really spill their life story on the television screen in a way that we never did.

We did it more for illumination rather than the shock value of it. But now, it seems, there is no topic that is not fair game. By the way, I am not saying it’s bad, but what I wonder is how long can people go on watching before they realize there is nothing more to be learned about some of these areas.

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Will the new series strictly have celebrity guests?

I don’t really want this to be a celebrity-driven show. What I don’t want this to be--and I don’t know how we are going to get around this--but, man, everybody who comes on these programs has got something to sell: Go see my movie, buy my book, get my CD.

I understand the promotional value of people going on the Jay Leno show, Letterman, Arsenio Hall. I don’t see the afternoon ones, but the ones at night, they don’t come on unless they have got something to sell.

I find it too bad that the only time Robin Williams goes on a program is if he has a movie coming out. I would like to see Robin Williams when he doesn’t have anything to sell, but just talk about what he’s doing in his life.

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How do you prepare for an interview?

Well, I don’t like to have an agenda, because if you do that, you tend not to listen but rather concentrate on where you are going next.

You know, I have been doing this for 35 years, and if I can’t do some cursory reading about an individual who is in the news or in the arts or in public life or whatever, and conduct an intelligent interview, then I haven’t really paid much attention in 35 years.

Every show I do, whether it be radio or television, I bring my whole lifestyle, my whole experience with it and my memories of things that have happened to me and that also happened to the people I am interviewing and try to make it a conversation, rather than a list of prepared questions.

I find if you start talking to people, they will tell you exactly what they want to get across. If you listen to them, you can frame questions and carry on a conversation. It is not that difficult.

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What happens when you have to practically pull teeth to get an answer from a guest?

You go on the next (guest) as quickly as you can. Great interview shows depend upon guests who have great stories to tell. They don’t come to answer questions. If they only come to answer questions yes or no, you have got a problem, and you go through the material very quickly, and it is on to the next.

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Do you have a wish list of people you want to interview?

Jackie Onassis. She would be the penultimate interview because she has within her the story of one of the great tragedies of our time because she was there that day, but she will carry that story with her through her grave, as well she should. It would be a wonderful and fascinating conversation.

“The Tom Snyder Show” premieres Monday and will air weeknights at 7 and 10 p.m. on CNBC.