John King will replace Lou Dobbs at CNN

CNN has announced John King, current host of "State of the Nation," will be taking over the 7 p.m. slot left vacant by the sudden resignation of Lou Dobbs.

Dobbs, who was one of the original commentators at CNN, shocked the media world on Wednesday with the surprise announcement he was leaving the news network. His replacement, John King, is well known for his neutral reporting style in the political arena, while Dobbs had become increasingly opinionated in recent years, specifically in the area of illegal immigration in the U.S. In a recent statement to the Washington Post's media guru Howard Kurtz, CNN President Jon Klien remarked, "The program will reflect what CNN is all about: the widest range of opinions from across the political spectrum." King, who started his career as a reporter for the Associated Press, added, "There is a lot of noise and conflict in our political discourse, which is fun to cover, but I am convinced from my travels that people thirst for more details as well as insight and context." King will stay on as host of State of the Union until early next year. Kurtz hosts "Reliable Sources" a weekly program of media affairs that airs during State of the Union.