We’d like to say we didn’t see this coming, but a blind man could have seen this coming.
Larry King announced on his website and at the beginning of his show Tuesday night that he’s ending his CNN program before the end of the year.
Here’s King’s website statement:
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’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 made nice by saying that King is a valued member of the team, that he’s going to do specials, blah, blah, blah.
In reality, the guy’s ratings have been in the dumper for years, he’s the worst interviewer on TV, and his personal life has become a punchline for comedians.
Long before he announced his departure, the network was floating names for his replacement – Katie Couric, Ryan Seacrest, Piers Morgan. Damn near everyone but Snoop Dogg and he may get a try-out before this things’s over.
Since CNN has disabled the video clip of King’s on-air announcement, we’ve gone to that other authoritative cable news source, E! Network, for their version of the announcement.
CNN or E! Network. Seriously, what’s the difference?
