Veteran journalist Chris Wallace is exiting CNN three years after joining from Fox News.
“Chris Wallace is one of the most respected political journalists in the news business with a unique track record across radio, print, broadcast television, cable television and streaming,” CNN Chairman and Chief Executive Mark Thompson said in a statement.
“We want to thank him for the dedication and wisdom he’s brought to all his work at CNN and to wish him the very best for future.”
Wallace, 77, is the first and likely not last big-name TV news talent to leave in the coming months. Major cost-cutting is expected across media organizations following the presidential election.
Wallace was expected to be a cost-cutting target. He was poached from Fox News in late 2021 at a salary said to be in the range of $8 million a year. His two weekend programs, “Who’s Talking to Chris Wallace?” and “The Chris Wallace Show,” have been modest performers in the ratings for the network.
Former CNN President Jeff Zucker originally hired Wallace to work at CNN+, the company’s initial attempt at a streaming service to supplement its cable business. Zucker was fired two weeks after Wallace arrived, and the streaming venture was shut down shortly after CNN became part of Warner Bros. Discovery.
Zucker’s successor, Chris Licht, moved him to the cable network. Wallace added a live Saturday morning discussion show in 2023 and appeared on CNN during special event coverage.
The final episode of “Who’s Talking to Chris Wallace?” has aired, but his Saturday program is expected to continue through the end of the year.
