• CNN, Wednesday, September 8, 2010 11:42 PM

British TV host Piers Morgan will take over Larry King's prime-time hour with "a candid, in-depth newsmaker interview program" starting in January. His new show was not named in the CNN release. Morgan is best known to American viewers as a judge on NBC's "America's Got Talent."

"Piers has made his name posing tough questions to public figures, holding them accountable for their words and deeds," said CNN-US President Jon Klein. "He is able to look at all aspects of the news with style and humor with an occasional good laugh in the process."

Morgan's show will air live on CNN-US at 9 p.m. ET and will air worldwide on CNN-International in more than 200 countries, the network said. Morgan will be based in New York, but also will work from Los Angeles and London, CNN said. He made his bones in the UK working for Rupert Murdoch papers News of the World and the Daily Mirror.

The British ex-tabloid editor has been hosting an interview series in the U.K. -- "Piers Morgan On "..." -- for the past few years. Mercury News says the 45-year-old's road to CNN was cleared earlier this summer, when NBC Universal Television Entertainment Chairman Jeff Gaspin announced that Morgan had brokered a new, no-longer-exclusive contract with the broadcaster, allowing his time to be shared between the networks. Morgan's show will be based in New York, but he will also work from Los Angeles and London.

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