The journalist and his documentary team were originally under contract till May 2009

It's a mutual, amicable breakup for Ted Koppel and the Discovery Channel.

The former ABC News "Nightline" anchor is cutting short the three-year contract his documentary group had with Discovery Communications, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

"It has long been clear that neither of us is interested in an extension of the current contract," Koppel, 68, said in a statement Tuesday. The contract's termination was "under terms that both sides found acceptable."

Koppel joined Discovery Channel in January 2006 as managing editor and with his team was supposed to create documentaries for the network until May 2009. Some of their projects have included a four-hour series on China, documentaries about Iran, prison and cancer.

Discovery, however, has shifted its focus and tone recently, and earlier this summer Koppel commented how his group's work didn't fit in with the likes of "Mythbusters" and "Dirty Jobs."

Koppel works for BBC World News from Washington and does commentaries for National Public Radio.