CHAIRMAN OF KING WORLD <KWP> FACES CHARGES
Roger King, chairman of King World
Productions Inc, faces charges of cocaine possession, auto
theft and strong-arm robbery stemming from his arrest in Fort
Lauderdale, Fla., last month, police said.
    The report of King's legal problems sent the stock of his
company -- a syndicator of some of television's most popular
talk and game shows -- down sharply on Wall Street.
    Fort Lauderdale police spokesman Ott Cefkin said King was
arrested on February 21 on charges that he beat up a taxi
driver during a dispute over a fare and then stole the man's
car. After King was taken in custody, police found three small
bags of cocaine in his shirt pocket, Cefkin said.
    King World distributes Wheel of Fortune, Jeopardy and the
Oprah Winfrey Show. According to the police report, King, 42,
was in Fort Lauderdale visiting his brother when the incident
occurred.
    Police said a taxi driver picked King up outside a Fort
Lauderdale night club but stopped the car after a short
distance when he became concerned that his passenger would be
unable to pay the fare.
  "Mr. King attacked the driver, punched him and then took the
cab and drove off," Cefkin said.
  King was arrested by police a few minutes later and was
charged with strong-arm robbery, auto theft and possession of a
small quantity of cocaine, police said.
 Reuter
