With ratings in free-fall, Piers Morgan to quit show

British journalist, Piers Morgan is ending his prime-time talk show on CNN. The date of the final broadcast has not been set. The decision came after Morgan and CNN president Jeffery Zucker failed to reach a decision on the future of the show.

LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - Piers Morgan is going off the air in the near future, although  the date his show will close has not been announced. Morgan, a British journalist, began his American talk-show career in 2011, taking over from icon Larry King.

Morgan brought a distinct British perspective to American news, often upsetting many viewers, especially conservatives. His anti-gun position was a common topic.

Morgan, 48, acknowledged in a New York Times interview published Sunday that he had trouble connecting with his American audience. Program ratings have fallen below expectations.

"Look, I am a British guy debating American cultural issues, including guns, which has been very polarizing, and there is no doubt that there are many in the audience who are tired of me banging on about it," Morgan said in his New York Times interview. "That's run its course and Jeff and I have been talking for some time about different ways of using me," he added.

CNN president Jeff Zucker has been reworking the network since last year when he took the helm of the massive news organization. CNN continues to face rising competition from newer news outlets with the most recent arrival being Al Jazzera America.

Morgan has brought a lot of criticism upon himself from American audiences. Most notably, in the wake of the Sandy Hook school shooting, Morgan made the incident a nightly subject for several show, hosted combative interviews and provoked viewers to start a petition to have him deported to England.

Larry King criticized Morgan, accusing him of making the show as much about himself as the guests.

The next step for Morgan remains unannounced, however as a veteran journalist with a talk-show pedigree, among his other credentials, he is likely to find another niche at CNN or elsewhere where his views will be better received.

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