Larry King to End Show After 25 Years

By PopEater Staff Posted Jun 29th 2010 08:45PM

On Tuesday evening, TV broadcasting legend Larry King dropped a bombshell: after 25 years of hosting the 'Larry King Live' show on CNN, his nightly show will end this fall. King made the surprising announcement via his Twitter account right before he taped this evening's show. "Announcing tonight: I'm ending my nightly show this fall but continuing at CNN," King wrote.

In a full statement on CNN.com, the TV icon said, "Before I start the show tonight, I want to share some personal news with you. 25 years ago, I sat across this table from New York Governor Mario Cuomo for the first broadcast of Larry King Live. Now, decades later, I talked to the guys here at CNN and I told them I would like to end Larry King Live, the nightly show, this fall and CNN has graciously accepted, giving me more time for my wife and I to get to the kids' little league games.

"I'm incredibly proud that we recently made the Guinness Book of World Records for having the longest running show with the same host in the same time slot. With this chapter closing I'm looking forward to the future and what my next chapter will bring, but for now it's time to hang up my nightly suspenders."

The journalist will still appear on CNN frequently, hosting topic-related specials. "I'll still be a part of the CNN family, hosting several Larry King specials on major national and international subjects," King confirmed in the statement.

The decision to leave the show comes after months of declining ratings and media speculation about the future of King's career. The NY Times reported in March that the program was down about 50 percent in viewers and had seen its worst quarter ever at the start of the year.

King's announcement also comes just a few weeks after his own personal life made headline news. In April, King and his wife, Shawn Southwick, filed for divorce after both accused the other of infidelity. A month later, the reconciled couple called off the divorce and moved back in together. Earlier this month, Southwick suffered a prescription pill overdose and has been recovering since.

Though he's leaving amid low ratings, there's no question it's the end of an era. In 1985, CNN founder Ted Turner gave King the opportunity to host his own show on the network. He agreed to give it a try and left his nationally syndicated radio talk show. 25 years later, his show is still a must-visit for celebrities and politicians needing a place to break news or make an apology. Several major news events took place on the show including Ross Perot announcing his run for president in 1992 and O.J. Simpson calling in the night of his acquittal.

Over the course of his career, King has won two Peabody awards and an Emmy. He was also inducted into the National Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame in 1992.

The departure of the suspenders-wearing broadcaster leaves quite a hole in CNN's evening programming with many wondering who will step in to replace the icon. Some assume the network will pull from its already vast pool of journalists while others predict new blood would help the already-flailing network.

British star Piers Morgan, currently on 'America's Got Talent,' was mentioned as a possible replacement for King earlier this month, though CNN swiftly dismissed that rumor. Their statement at the time said, "Not surprisingly, there is no shortage of people who would love to succeed Larry King if and when he moves on, but rumors that we are close to signing a deal for a Larry King replacement are untrue."

Katie Couric has also been named a possible replacement. And the Associated Press reports King thinks Ryan Seacrest should take over the reins.

More on King From Extra

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Comments

(110)

Wednesday 30 June

By Larry

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Finally! Despite all his fame and fortune, I have always found his boring, monotone interviews unbearable. For me, it's good riddance.

By barsoomer

The man is a corpse! Rude and arrogant, yes, but also unprepared, lazy and stupid. CNN should have fired him years ago. Good riddance.

By jt44mag

RYAN SEACREST ..???..NOW WE REALLY KNOW THAT LARRY IS SENILE ..!!!THAT OVER POMPOUS LITTLE TWIT THINKS HE CAN DO BETTER THAN LARRY KING ..???..ROGLMAO..!!!HE COULDN'T EVEN HOST "AMERICAN IDOL" WITHOUT TRYING TO BE THE CENTER OF ATTENTION EVERY 2 SECONDS ...!!!..i can just imagine him hosting his own show ..!!!..gushing all over the guests trying to ham it up that they're "best buds "..he's a little OLD right now for the 20 something crowd that he trys to be a spokesman for ...he needs to get a life ..like go be an accountant or something ...his phony " good boy but i'm hip " image is a little too much to endure ..!!!

REPLACE LARRY ..WITH ....STEVE CARRELL of "THE OFFICE "...THAT GUY IS DYNOMITE ..!!!!he's leaving that show now anyway ..!!!..he'd be perfect ..!!!

By MyBallsYourMomsChin

Larry proposed marriage to his current wife the 1st time she dropped her panties and revealed that she had a fully shaved snatch!

By LARRY, THE EX-CON

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Larry has been losing ratings for months, and I really wonder who asked whom to end the show? In his younger days Larry served jail time, in South Florida, for a crime... some type of scam. He changed his name to KING, and started a radio show in Miami. The rest is history. A typical Liberal biography of success....

By CNN SUCKS

CNN, THE CLINTON NEWS NETWORK, HAS BEEN LOSING RATINGS, AS HAS THE OTHER LIBERAL NEWS OUTLETS LIKE NBC, MSNBC, CBS and ABC. SOONER OR LATER THEY SURELY MUST REALIZE THEY ARE NOT GIVING BALANCED NEWS, AND THAT CLINGING T A LOSER, LIKE OBAMA, IS NOT GOING TO CHANGE THEIR RATINGS. FOR INSTANCE, OBAMA'S BUDDY,EX-GOVERNOR BLAGOJEVICH IS PRESENTLY ON TRIAL FOR TRYING TO SELL OBAMA'S VACATED SENATE SEAT WHILE GOVERNOR. WITNESS TESTIMONY INDICATES THAT OBAMA KNEW FIRST HAND THAT HIS CHOICE, VALLARY JARRETT, WAS GOING TO REQUIRE OBAMA TO APPOINT GOVERNOR BLAGO TO A HIGH POSITION IN THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION...WHERE IS THE COVERAGE OF THIS BOMBSHELL??? IF THIS WAS A SITTING REPUBLICAN PRESIDENT, AND A BUDDY EX-GOVENOR WAS BEING TRIED FOR SELLING FAVORS, INCLUDING THAT REPUBLICAN PRESIDENT, THE LIBERAL MEDIA WOULD BE HAVING SATELLITE TRUCKS CONVERGING ON CHICAGO LIKE NO ONE HAS EVER SEEN BEFORE.

By A.G.

good riddance, to a no talent moron...hope they replace him with something with as much talent...like a black screen!

No buttboy seacrest...No cnut curic No show at allllll...play Gilligan reruns

By Mark

It's about 24 years, 11 months and 29 days past due! He is so inept!!! His best screw up was with Paul and Ringo!!!

Thursday 01 July

By juansword88

Some people see Larry King is rude.
It is likely unwise they don't see why he is rude to whom.
There is no smoke without fire. Those who hate CNN will oppose
Larry King too.

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