Jon Stewart Leaving 'The Daily Show'
NEW YORK (CBS/AP) -- Jon Stewart will be stepping down from his post as anchor of "The Daily Show" later this year, Comedy Central announced Tuesday.
Comedy Central issued a tweet with an announcement that Stewart, 52, will be stepping down at an unspecified time. The New York City native has been host of the Daily Show for 16 years.
Thank you Jon. pic.twitter.com/yPdxjnkuLw
— comedycentral (@ComedyCentral) February 10, 2015
"For the better part of the last few decades, we have had the incredible honor and privilege of working with Jon Stewart. His comedic brilliance is second to none. Jon has been at the heart of Comedy Central, championing and nurturing the best talent in the industry, in front of and behind the camera. Through his unique voice and vision, The Daily Show has become a cultural touchstone for millions of fans and an unparalleled platform for political comedy that will endure for years to come," the statement said.
"Jon will remain the helm of The Daily Show until later this year. He is a comic genius, generous with his time and talent, and will always be a part of the Comedy Central family," the statement continued.
Tonight! For once, you wanna stay through the interview.
— The Daily Show (@TheDailyShow) February 11, 2015
Stewart took over news satire and talk program in January, 1999. Craig Kilborn had hosted the program for its first three years before that.
The network lost another major host last year when Stephen Colbert left, he is scheduled to take over David Letterman's late night show on September 8th.
The Stewart and Colbert shows created templates for a comedic form that offered laughs along with trenchant political and social satire. Authors and politicians were as common as Hollywood celebrities on their shows.
Stewart took a several months-long hiatus in 2013 to direct "Rosewater," a film about an Iranian-born journalist who was imprisoned for 118 days in Tehran and accused of being a spy. The Comedy Central statement did not indicate what his plans were after leaving.
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