|
 Stewart, 52, who has starred on the show since 1999, said he
had no specific plans for his next career move, but was thankful
for the opportunity to host the program.
"It's been an absolute privilege," said an emotional Stewart.
"It's been the honor of my professional life, and I thank you
for watching it, for hate-watching it, whatever reason you are
tuning in for."
The announcement came after Comedy Central's other big name,
former "Daily Show" contributor Stephen Colbert, ended his
tenure as star of companion show "The Colbert Report" and left
the network in December to succeed the retiring David Letterman
as host of the "Late Show" on CBS.
The New York-based "The Daily Show," which airs weeknights at 11
p.m. on the Viacom Inc-owned Comedy Central, is expected to
continue, the network said, but a replacement for Stewart has
yet to be named.
"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," Comedy Central President Michele Ganeless said
in a statement.
Stewart replaced Craig Kilborn roughly 15 years ago as host of
the late-night cable program, which has won Peabody and Emmy
awards.
"17 years is the longest I have ever in my life held a job, by
16 years and five months," Stewart said on Tuesday's broadcast.
"The upshot there being I am a terrible employee. But in my
heart, I know it is time for someone else to have that
opportunity," he added, prompting boos from the audience.
[to top of second column] |
 "The Daily Show" averages slightly more than 1 million
viewers a night, a far smaller audience than his late-night
competition on broadcast networks, but Stewart became
disproportionately influential in U.S. politics and culture.
His lampooning of elected and would-be office-holders, broadcast
journalists and other public figures, especially on the conservative
end of the spectrum, has made him a darling of the political left.
Young adult viewers form the core of his fan base. In a 2004 poll by
the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press, 21 percent of
respondents aged 18 to 29 cited "The Daily Show" as a regular source
of political news.
A two-time Oscar host who has branched out into the movie industry,
Stewart made his directorial debut with the film "Rosewater" last
year.
Beginning his show business career in stand-up comedy in New York,
Stewart took his satirical humor to MTV in 1993, where he hosted
"The Jon Stewart Show."
"The Daily Show" has been a launchpad for several comedians besides
Colbert, among them Steve Carell and John Oliver.
(Reporting by Eric Kelsey and Piya Sinha-Roy in Los Angeles, and
Karen Brooks in Austin, Texas; Editing by Steve Gorman, Curtis
Skinner, Chris Reese, Toni Reinhold, Cynthia Osterman and Clarence
Fernandez)
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