Chris Wallace says he will leave CNN after three years, at 77, and is eager to see what the changing media environment has to offer.
“When I look at the media landscape right now, the people who are moving toward independence, whether it’s through podcasting or streaming, they seem to be the ones who are in the action,” he said Tuesday.
It’s hard to find a clearer indication of how business has changed. Wallace is the quintessential radio news anchor, the son of CBS News legend Mike Wallace, who worked at both ABC and NBC News and was host of “Fox News Sunday” for 18 years before leaving for CNN in 2021.
He was set to be a lead personality on the CNN+ streaming service, which the company abandoned a month after its launch in 2022. That forced him to string together a role at CNN, with a Saturday morning political show and a broader interview program on Max. And he appeared on the network as a commentator.
Wallace described the exit as amicable. CNN CEO Mark Thompson called him “one of the most respected political journalists in the news” and said he wished him the best.
Thompson will likely face some tough decisions in the future, with CNN TV ratings declining and an increased focus on the digital horizon.
Wallace said having control over what he does is more appealing to him at this point in his career. Don’t expect major changes to his brand — he’ll likely stick to political interviews and analysis, and doesn’t favor one political side over another — and he said he’s already heard some expressions of interest.
Retirement is not in the blood. His father was working well into his late 80s on “60 Minutes.” Moreover, Chris Wallace said, “No one in my family wants me to retire.”
___
David Bauder writes about media for the Associated Press. Follow him on http://x.com/dbauder.
