For years, broadcasters like Dick Clark and Larry King  have alway brokered the relationship between the famous people they interview and the not-so-famous people who watch them.They’re tour guides in a sense, to a foreign realm who act as surrogates for their audiences, but they’re also natives of that realm with privileged access to its inner circles. Ryan Seacrest, to some, is the fan who made it.

His stardom, relies on channeling the publics’ enthusiasm by sparking our curiosity. Ryan Seacrest, whose unique ambition and accomplishment is to be both everywhere and nowhere, is best known as the host of “American Idol.” He can also be found on the radio, Monday through Friday, hosting “On-Air with Ryan Seacrest.” In addition, he occasionally fills in for Larry King on “Larry King Live,” he is a co-anchor of “E! News,” a half-hour celebrity gossip roundup that broadcasts seven nights a week, and somehow also finds time to lead the network’s red-carpet coverage of the Grammys, the Emmys, the Oscars and the Golden Globes.

From the time he was a kid growing up in suburban Atlanta, Seacrest’s goal was to become what he calls “a classic iconic broadcaster.”  There has been a lot of speculation that Seacrest is in “serious negotiations” with Larry King to take over his show. In an interview with The New York Times, in regards to Seacrest, Larry King said, “He’s the classic generalist. The only thing I don’t know, and I’ve gotten to know him pretty well, is how versed he is in politics, world affairs. Does he read the paper? Is he interested in Iraq? Because if he is, he’s going to be very good.”

Seacrest for the past few years has built an empire of his own.  He has produced several reality shows, including “Denise Richards: It’s Complicated,” “Momma’s Boys” and “Keeping Up With the Kardashians,” all under his company, Ryan Seacrest Productions, and E!, where his $21 million, three-year contract for production and hosting has recently been expanded. It would be an impressive achievement to replace Dick Clark,Larry King or Merv Griffin. Seacrest is quick on his feet and able to appeal to a range of audiences. But it’s his rather interesting relationship to fame, his knack for sharing the spotlight rather than hogging it, that likely explains his rise. Can Ryan Seacrest be the lone successor to America’s most renowned pop culture M.C.’s? What do you think?