For obvious reasons, you don't hear much from TV presenter/record industry mogul/hitmaker Jonathan King these days, but back in the 1980s his stock was high. Some of his career achievements included a string of hit singles, some of which were parodies or novelty songs under assumed names, some of which were under his real name; discovering and producing the first album by Genesis, and having a music/showbiz newspaper column as well as securing an occasional slot on BBC Television's 'Top Of The Pops' reporting on the music scene from the US.
It was that slot on 'TOTP' which gave King the platform to produce 'Entertainment USA'. He had been credited with giving UK exposure to numerous US acts enabling them to score chart hits here, and the 'Entertainment USA' show took things a stage further. It still featured a report on the US music scene, but also included a look at the latest films and television shows coming from across the pond, and all hosted in a 'travelogue' style, showcasing a different US city each week. In addition, King would often feature exclusive interviews with some of the biggest stars of the day; his show was required viewing in 1983 for rock fans in particular, since he was one of the few major British media figures to give any positive TV exposure to rock bands such as AC/DC, Ozzy Osbourne or KISS.
King claims to have had almost 10 million viewers of his show at its height, which is quite an achievement given that it was shown on the minority BBC2 channel. (Notwithstanding the fact that cable and satellite TV was still some years away in the UK and there were still only four channels to choose from then.)
King's next production was another similarly entertainment-orientated TV show: 'No Limits', an early example of so-called 'yoof TV'. He did not present the show himself but instead handed presenting duties to younger, unknown hosts. From then he went on to produce the annual BRIT record industry award shows and was still a very influential figure in music and television leading up to his arrest. Charged with offences against minors, he was convicted in 2001 and sentenced to seven years in prison.
King maintained (and continues to maintain) his innocence of the charges; not a man who is easily beaten, after his release he went on to create a musical (titled 'Vile Pervert: The Musical') which aimed to give his side of the story, lampooning everyone from the police to the media along the way. Playing all the characters himself, he made the production available to view online and at the time of writing has had over 80000 views online. In addition, he maintains his own website 'King of Hits' and continues to post some thought-provoking views on a range of subjects.
Whatever else you may think of Jonathan King, the world of music and television is poorer and a lot duller without him contributing to it. Below are a couple of interview extracts from 'Entertainment USA':
Interview with Ozzy Osbourne 'Entertainment USA' 1983:
*2023 update: replaced old video link*
1983 Interview with KISS in full make-up, including Vinnie Vincent in 'Ankh' mask:
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