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Amid the personnel shuffles, new lines of business and programming changes, one thing is constant: Osborne. His stature in the movie business is cemented -- literally. He earned a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2006, and this past December was given the William K. Everson Film History Award by the National Board of Review.

Even at his age, Osborne remains a part of the network's long-range plans, insists Koonin, who will renegotiate his contract extension this year. "Whether it was a man half his age, they couldn't do as good a job as he does," Koonin says. "We have every intention to renew him for as long as he wants to be with the network."

Even out of makeup, he could pass for 65, lines and all. He seems to pace himself in everything he does or says. "I would love to keep doing it as long as it's still viable for Turner," Osborne says. "There obviously will come an age when you're too old to be doing it, I guess, but I'd love to keep doing it. I feel good, and I love the people I work with. And I love this product."

This isn't his only Georgia gig. Each April, he hosts Robert Osborne's Classic Film Festival at the Classic Center in Athens. University of Georgia journalism professor Nate Kohn conceived the idea in 2005 after doing something similar with Roger Ebert up at his previous stop, the University of Illinois. From April 10-12, the pair will present eight classics, starting with Young Frankenstein and concluding with The King and I. "I've thought, 'It's so great to have TCM to show all these great films,'" Osborne says, "but how fun would it be to take these movies ... and show them on a big screen?"

For a man who once pondered an acting career where youth is everything, Osborne has put his years and knowledge to perfect use. Even with the network keeping an eye on younger viewers, Osborne remains unfazed. "I've thought of myself as making choices as to how it would affect TCM," he says, "but I've made choices like that all my life. My dad was a high school principal and a superintendent in this small town I grew up in. There were certain things I wanted to do that I knew I shouldn't because it would reflect badly on my dad.

"So I was not a problem child, but I never felt I needed to rebel because everybody always gave me a lot of space, and kind of let me do what I wanted to do. But all I wanted to do was go to the movies."

This article originally appeared in the Atlanta Creative Loafing.