Larry King to end CNN talk show

The 76-year-old host of Larry King Live said in a statement that the show would end this autumn. He still plans to host occasional specials for the broadcaster.

"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," he said.

The programme recently set a record for longest-running show with the same host at the same time.

"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," he said, referencing his trademark fashion statement.

King has been a fixture in CNN's evening lineup, but had recently slipped in the ratings to more politically pointed rivals on Fox News and MSNBC. His marital woes have also dominated headlines, with King announcing a divorce from his seventh wife before saying they would stay together after all.