Finally, CNN's got talent.
The cable news network announced Wednesday morning that starting in January, Piers Morgan would be hosting a live interview show in the 9 p.m. slot long held by Larry King.
As TheWrap has reported time and again, the deal has been nearly done for weeks. The British media personality will be taking the slot at the beginning of next year, Jon Klein announced in a statement.
“Piers has made his name posing tough questions to public figures, holding them accountable for their words and deeds,” said Klein. “He is able to look at all aspects of the news with style and humor with an occasional good laugh in the process. He is a natural fit with Anderson Cooper, Eliot Spitzer and Kathleen Parker in our primetime line up, and the ideal choice to update the storied tradition of newsmaker talk on CNN.”
King announced June 29 that he's stepping down as the host of "Larry King Live" after a quarter century as CNN's main man in primetime.
His departure came amid the dual specter of declining ratings and a messy divorce scandal. King's viewership was down 55 percent in July, but sources at CNN told TheWrap that his personal problems were the ultimate reason for his exit.
King's issues weren't the only problem at the network. Ratings are down across the board at CNN -- and there are several shaky spots in its lineup. In June, CNN announced a new show hosted by former New York governor Eliot Spitzer to fill its 8 p.m. hour after Campbell Brown left with disappointing numbers. In July, TheWrap exclusively reported that CNN's star anchor Anderson Cooper is unhappy and potentially considering other options.
CNN has repeatedly denied TheWrap's reports of troubled times.
British tabloids began naming Morgan as King's replacement as early as June 14. An individual with knowledge of the situation told TheWrap that Morgan's representatives approached CNN to throw his name in the mix.
Morgan, known to U.S. audiences as a judge on NBC's "America's Got Talent" and a contestant on "Celebrity Apprentice," has a much higher profile back in England, where he conducts interview specials for the BBC and Channel 4 and writes newspaper columns.
And much like his predecessor, Morgan's seen his share of scandals back in the U.K.
TheWrap exclusively reported that an agreement between Morgan and CNN was imminent July 13, and that his contract with NBC was the last obstacle to a deal. Two weeks later, NBC entertainment president Jeff Gaspin confirmed to TheWrap that the network had negotiated a new deal with Morgan that would allow him to take the CNN job in addition to his duties on "Talent."
Last month, in response to inaccurate media reports that he'd spurned CNN's advances, individuals close to Morgan said the official announcement would be coming within days.
Morgan has a big job ahead of him now that his long, slow march to CNN is over. With all of the turbulence at the network, CNN needs its gamble on Morgan to pay off.
