It looks like Chris Wallace is officially waving goodbye to CNN after less than three years—a short stint that probably didn’t go quite the way he imagined.
After nearly two decades at Fox News, Wallace jumped ship in 2022, citing discomfort with Fox’s coverage of events like January 6 and the 2020 election. He hoped CNN, especially its short-lived streaming service CNN+, would be a fresh start. But if Wallace expected a warm welcome and solid ratings on his new network, reality hit hard. CNN+ folded faster than a deck chair, leaving Wallace scrambling to find a spot on the main network.
After CNN+ imploded, Wallace was given a couple of weekend talk shows—Who’s Talking to Chris Wallace? and The Chris Wallace Show—but they never took off. Viewership numbers were, let’s say, less than stellar, with The Chris Wallace Show barely reaching 600,000 viewers and averaging a mere 85,000 in the key 25-54 age demographic. It turns out people weren’t exactly flocking to see the “veteran broadcaster” at his new digs.
Now, Wallace claims he’s heading for a new chapter, looking to dip his toes into independent streaming or podcasting. Perhaps he thinks he’ll find the audience that eluded him at CNN. But one can’t help wondering if this decision had a little something to do with his paycheck. The Ankler reported that CNN offered Wallace a new contract at “significantly less” than the $8.5 million he scored under former CNN boss Jeff Zucker. With CNN tightening the purse strings amidst financial troubles and rumors of layoffs, it’s likely Wallace saw the writing on the wall and decided to jump before he was pushed.
Chris Wallace appears to have little self-awareness. He’s too old, too out of touch, and far too boring. He has ZERO charisma. He is not likely to experience the success Rogan and Charlamagne enjoy. https://t.co/4OTlw9OcEO
— Cyril Wyche (@CWWyche) November 12, 2024
Wallace’s journey is emblematic of CNN’s broader challenges. The network once prided itself on being “the most trusted name in news,” but now it’s struggling with slumping ratings, layoffs, and budget cuts. In a year when Americans were supposedly glued to political news, The Chris Wallace Show struggled to gain traction. Meanwhile, Wallace’s former home, Fox News, continues to lead in cable news ratings—a bitter pill, perhaps, for a host who once dominated Sunday mornings.
“This election is something of an indictment on the political information complex. The story that was portrayed was not true. We were just ignoring the fundamentals.”
Scott Jennings does a flawless job taking down an entire panel of woke CNN hosts. pic.twitter.com/w2eBJeTi6E
— Nick Adams (@NickAdamsinUSA) November 6, 2024
Wallace’s exit leaves CNN with one less “respected political journalist” on a network that’s losing viewers fast. And while CNN’s new leadership wished Wallace well in his “future endeavors,” the reality is this: he’s a big-ticket hire that never really paid off. So off he goes to podcast or stream his way to relevance, hoping to catch an audience that wasn’t quite there for him on television.
James O’Keefe wins a significant step in his lawsuit against CNN for defamation where they falsely reported he was suspended from Twitter for “spreading misinformation.”
Now the trial goes into the discovery phase.
That won’t be good at all for CNN.pic.twitter.com/m5f9ZAaryZ
— Paul A. Szypula 🇺🇸 (@Bubblebathgirl) November 11, 2024
As CNN braces for potential layoffs and belt-tightening measures, it’s hard not to see Wallace’s exit as the end of yet another failed experiment in the network’s attempt to reinvent itself. Maybe, just maybe, if CNN spent less time poaching Fox News talent and more time figuring out what viewers actually want, they wouldn’t be in this mess. But for now, Chris Wallace’s “new chapter” looks like yet another step in CNN’s ongoing struggle to stay relevant in a changing media landscape.
MSNBC and CNN Suffer Staggering Ratings Plunge Following Trump Victory 😂😅🤣🥹 https://t.co/h6yhw9Z0eF
— Robert (@Robert59025322) November 12, 2024
