"Comic genius" Jon Stewart will leave the satirical and pioneering The Daily Show later this year.

The 52-year-old, who took time off in 2013 to direct a film based on an Iranian-Canadian journalist's nightmare in a Tehran jail, has hosted the award-winning show for 16 years.

"His comedic brilliance is second to none," Stewart's bosses said in a statement on Tuesday, after the host made the announcement during a taping of the popular show.

The Daily Show, which airs four nights a week in the United States, offers Stewart's trademark sideways take on the news. The show has been running to acclaim since 1999.

"Jon has been at the heart of Comedy Central, championing and nurturing the best talent in the industry, in front of and behind the camera," said the channel.

It added: "Through his unique voice and vision, The Daily Show has become a cultural touchstone for millions of fans and an unparallelled platform for political comedy that will endure for years to come.

"Jon will remain at the helm of The Daily Show until later this year. He is a comic genius, generous with his time and talent, and will always be a part of the Comedy Central family."

The statement gave no indication of what Stewart plans to do after leaving the show.

The Daily Show has been a launchpad for numerous comedians over the past 15 years, including Ed Helms, Steve Carrell, Stephen Colbert and John Oliver.

Stewart and The Daily Show have won 20 Primetime Emmys over the years, as well as numerous other awards, according to the IMDb industry database.

Politicians have grown used to being the butt of Stewart's jokes, while many - including President Barack Obama - agree to be interviewed by him.

But his targets were not limited to politicians. Among his latest victims was embattled NBC television anchor Brian Williams, whose network announced on Tuesday that he was being suspended for six months without pay for embellishing an Iraq war story.

Stewart joked that Williams was suffering from "infotainment confusion syndrome".