NEW YORK, USA Larry King is to step down from his iconic TV show on CNN later this summer after 25 years.

King, who has interviewed more than 40,000 people is one of America s most renowned on air personalities and created his own personal touch, which has made him a unique figure. He told his audience on Tuesday that, It's time to hang up the suspenders . Larry King Live , a CNN prime time show has struggled in recent years with falling ratings in the battle for viewers. According to the BBC, New York Times critic David Carr told CNN that it was a good idea to find a successor to King soon.

Fox News and MSNBC were two networks that didn't exist at the start of Larry s career but have become more prevalent, and as audiences shift their focus to reality TV and online news, it seems harder than ever for networks to keep audiences watching their prime time shows. At 76, it is no surprise viewers may feel that King needs to step down. According to AP, King appeared to have lost touch with the modern pop culture, as a recent interview with Lady Gaga showed how little he understood her.

Despite the show's falling rates, King s interviews have included every US president since Gerald Ford, and one of his most recent guest was Microsoft founder Bill Gates.

Speculation grows has to who will replace him, including CBS news anchor Katie Couric, British America s got Talent judge Piers Morgan or American Idol host Ryan Seacrest.

It is unlikely that Larry King will disappear completely from our screens, as he plans to take part in CNN special programmes.