This is the reason Chris Wallace is leaving CNN: Why the veteran journalist is exiting the news channel

Veteran news journalist Chris Wallace says he’s leaving cable TV network CNN to focus on alternative platforms like streaming and podcasts.

In an interview with The Daily Beast on Monday, Wallace revealed his decision not to renew the three-year contract he signed with CNN in 2021, explaining that he had decided to switch to platforms “where the action seems to be”.

Wallace “excited and liberated” ahead of CNN departure

“This is the first time in 55 years I‘ve been between jobs,” Wallace told the Daily Beast. “I am actually excited and liberated by that.” Asked to elaborate further on his plans for a future in streaming and podcasting, the 77-year-old said: “I‘m waiting to see what comes over the transom. It might be something that I haven’t thought of at all.” He also declared: “Not knowing is part of the challenge.”

Since joining CNN, Wallace has anchored the current-affairs talk show Who’s Talking to Chris Wallace, which airs on the affiliated streaming service Max, and The Chris Wallace Show, a Saturday morning panel-discussion program.

Wallace was also a prominent feature of CNN’s coverage of election day on November 5, as Republican Donald Trump defeated Democratic vice-president Kamala Harris to secure a return to the White House, four years after losing the presidential ballot to the US’s current commander-in-chief, Joe Biden.

CNN boss lauds “one of the most respected political journalists”

In a statement, CNN chief executive Mark Thompson said: “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. 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 the future.”

When will Wallace’s CNN shows end?

Wallace, who has also worked for ABC and NBC during his more than half century-long broadcasting career, joined CNN in a shock move from Fox News.

He had spent nearly two decades at Fox, but told Mediaite’s Press Club last month that he had begun to take issue with the “conspiracy [theories] and lies” broadcast on the conservative network. “The truth is non-negotiable,” Wallace said.

Wallace will continue to anchor his CNN shows until “the end of their scheduled run later this year”, the network said.