The reports are true: Talk show host Montel Williams will stop production of his self-titled talk show this season after 17 years on the air.

⿿I can⿿t say thank you enough to those who⿿ve welcomed me into their homes for the past seventeen years,⿿ Williams says in a statement. ⿿It has been both an honor and a joy.⿿

Hosting the popular daytime show has taken Williams around the world, he says, including visits to the Middle East, a post-Katrina New Orleans and Ground Zero in New York City. ⿿[I] talked with over 30,000 guests and over a half million studio audience members,⿿ Williams adds.

But Williams won⿿t be disappearing from television just yet. CBS Television Distribution revealed plans to offer a series of best-of episodes in fall 2008 ⿿ consisting of a full-year of programming highlighting ⿿the most exciting episodes from the last 17 years,⿿ according to a release. However, original episodes will cease production at the end of this season.

⿿We have been honored to have Montel as a part of our family for the past 17 years, and we⿿re very excited that Montel will live on through these ⿿Best of⿿ episodes,⿿ John Nogawski, president and COO of CBS Television Distribution, said in a statement.

WENN