Hunter Walker
TheWrap.com
One of CNN's best known faces is leaving the network.
Larry King, the longtime host of "Larry King Live" announced he is ending his primetime show after 25 years on air.
"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 to get to the kids' little league games," the 77-year-old King said in a statement released by CNN.
An individual at CNN told TheWrap that King will continue doing his show until November. King signed a new contract with the network to produce quarterly specials once "Larry King Live" ends its run.
Ratings for "Larry King Live" have been down 43 percent this year, a stunning drop for the network's star talk show host, who was once the top-rated talent at CNN.
On Monday, Nielsen ratings gave King's show 104,000 viewers in the adult 25-54 demographic compared to 592,000 for Fox News' Sean Hannity and 292,000 for MSNBC host Rachel Maddow.
Also on TheWrap: Who Will Replace Larry King?
King's Monday ratings were even lower than the numbers for Joy Behar's show on CNN's sister network Headline News. Behar's show brought in 129,000 viewers last night.
In spite of King's ratings struggles, a CNN insider told TheWrap it was turmoil in King's personal life rather than declining audience that led to the decision to have him step aside. "What brought this to a head was his messy personal life, and he's old -- it's too much."
King and his wife Shawn, his eighth marriage, filed for divorce in April, reportedly after the CNN anchor had an affair with his sister-in-law. An individual close to the family said that Shawn King has been distraught and threatened to do harm to herself over the family drama.
Also on TheWrap: Why Was the Larry King Announcement Handled So Badly?
An individual at CNN told TheWrap that, with all of the problems with his ratings and his marriage, King had become a liability to the network.
"Larry King leaving doesn't worry anyone. What worries people is who replaces him," they said.
But King leaving does raise a thorny problem of succession for the news network, which suffers from a shallow bench. Anderson Cooper seemed to be the most likely candidate to inherit the talk show slot, although Joy Behar and Piers Morgan are names that have also been mentioned.
Cooper's contract with the network expires next year.
King issued the following statement:
"Before I start the show tonight, I want to share some personal news with you. Twenty five 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'll still be a part of the CNN family, hosting several Larry King specials on major national and international subjects.
"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."
CNN also issued a statement on King's departure:
"Just as CNN redefined the news business, Larry King defined the art of the television interview. His candor, curiosity and compassion are legendary, and his ability to interview people from all walks of life—world leaders, celebrities and everyday people—has made him an icon. Having conducted nearly 50,000 interviews over 50-plus years in broadcasting, Larry deserves to take some time for himself and his family. After 25 years at CNN, he will conclude 'Larry King Live' on his own terms, sometime this fall. We are proud and grateful that Larry will continue the next chapter of his storied career at CNN and will host several specials over the coming years.
"Today is about Larry. We will announce plans for the 9pm hour in the weeks ahead."
TheWrap.com
One of CNN's best known faces is leaving the network.
Larry King, the longtime host of "Larry King Live" announced he is ending his primetime show after 25 years on air.
"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 to get to the kids' little league games," the 77-year-old King said in a statement released by CNN.
An individual at CNN told TheWrap that King will continue doing his show until November. King signed a new contract with the network to produce quarterly specials once "Larry King Live" ends its run.
Ratings for "Larry King Live" have been down 43 percent this year, a stunning drop for the network's star talk show host, who was once the top-rated talent at CNN.
On Monday, Nielsen ratings gave King's show 104,000 viewers in the adult 25-54 demographic compared to 592,000 for Fox News' Sean Hannity and 292,000 for MSNBC host Rachel Maddow.
Also on TheWrap: Who Will Replace Larry King?
King's Monday ratings were even lower than the numbers for Joy Behar's show on CNN's sister network Headline News. Behar's show brought in 129,000 viewers last night.
In spite of King's ratings struggles, a CNN insider told TheWrap it was turmoil in King's personal life rather than declining audience that led to the decision to have him step aside. "What brought this to a head was his messy personal life, and he's old -- it's too much."
King and his wife Shawn, his eighth marriage, filed for divorce in April, reportedly after the CNN anchor had an affair with his sister-in-law. An individual close to the family said that Shawn King has been distraught and threatened to do harm to herself over the family drama.
Also on TheWrap: Why Was the Larry King Announcement Handled So Badly?
An individual at CNN told TheWrap that, with all of the problems with his ratings and his marriage, King had become a liability to the network.
"Larry King leaving doesn't worry anyone. What worries people is who replaces him," they said.
But King leaving does raise a thorny problem of succession for the news network, which suffers from a shallow bench. Anderson Cooper seemed to be the most likely candidate to inherit the talk show slot, although Joy Behar and Piers Morgan are names that have also been mentioned.
Cooper's contract with the network expires next year.
King issued the following statement:
"Before I start the show tonight, I want to share some personal news with you. Twenty five 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'll still be a part of the CNN family, hosting several Larry King specials on major national and international subjects.
"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."
CNN also issued a statement on King's departure:
"Just as CNN redefined the news business, Larry King defined the art of the television interview. His candor, curiosity and compassion are legendary, and his ability to interview people from all walks of life—world leaders, celebrities and everyday people—has made him an icon. Having conducted nearly 50,000 interviews over 50-plus years in broadcasting, Larry deserves to take some time for himself and his family. After 25 years at CNN, he will conclude 'Larry King Live' on his own terms, sometime this fall. We are proud and grateful that Larry will continue the next chapter of his storied career at CNN and will host several specials over the coming years.
"Today is about Larry. We will announce plans for the 9pm hour in the weeks ahead."
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