After more than 15 years on the air, Jon Stewart will call it quits as host of "The Daily Show," Comedy Central said Tuesday.

The channel did not say exactly when the 52-year-old's final broadcast would occur, The Associated Press reports.

Stewart will "remain at the helm of 'The Daily Show' until later this year," Comedy Central President Michele Ganeless reassured fans in a statement. She called the host a "comic genius," adding that working with him has been an "incredible honor and privilege."

The host himself told his studio audience that his stint had been an "absolute privilege," and he struggled with his emotions as he announced his intentions to leave.

"It's been the honor of my professional life," Stewart said.

Meanwhile, media writers are speculating as to who might replace the comedian as host of the nightly program. John Oliver, who left "The Daily Show" to start his own weekly newscast on HBO; Tina Fey, who wowed the nation with her Sarah Palin impersonation and charmed viewers as Liz Lemon on "30 Rock"; and B.J. Novak, the writer and actor known for NBC's "The Office" are among the names being mentioned, according to USA Today.

But how the show's format is going to adapt to a new style is anybody's guess, said Ron Simon, a curator at the Paley Center for Media.

"The show will evolve," Simon argued. "What people forget about (Stewart) is that he didn't quite fit the traditional talk show format. He tried a talk show at MTV; it didn't play up his skills. (But) 'The Daily Show' was a perfect fit."

Stewart, meanwhile, may want to use his post-"Daily Show" career to work on another movie. He wrote and directed the 2014 drama "Rosewater" about the imprisonment of Iranian-Canadian journalist Maziar Bahari, which proved to be a success among critics.

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