Ammon News - LOS ANGELES - Larry King says he is ending his interview program that has been a mainstay of CNN's prime-time lineup for 25 years.

King, 76, made the announcement on "Larry King Live" Tuesday, saying he wanted to spend more time with his family.

The program has seen a ratings slide in recent years but that doesn't lessen King's place in the genre. He's said to have interviewed more than 40,000 people, including every U.S. president since Gerald Ford.

King's departure has been rumored for some time. He said, however, it was his decision and not CNN's to end the program.

The very style that allowed him to convince so many political figures and celebrities to appear on his talk may have cost him viewers in the end. He is known for an easy going, rarely (if ever) confrontational style that is out of step with current cable television standards.

"I'm incredibly proud that we recently made the 'Guinness Book of World Records' for having the longest running with the same host in the same time slot, King said on the CNN Web site. "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."

In addition to getting "to the kids' little league games," King said he would still pop up on CNN as host of "several Larry King specials on major national and international subjects."

"Larry King Live" will air its final installment this fall.

*UPI