Olivier Douliery/Pool via AP
CNN anchor Chris Wallace announced on Monday that he would leave the network at the end of his contract, citing the growing influence of podcasters such as Joe Rogan and Charlamagne tha God.
Wallace – who joined CNN in January 2022 after nearly 20 years at Fox News – told the Daily Beast he would leave the network at the end of his three-year contract in favor of independent broadcasting.
Describing podcasts and streaming platforms as “where the action seems to be,” Wallace pointed to Rogan and Charlamagne’s influence during the 2024 election, before adding, “I don’t flatter myself to think I will have that sort of reach.”
The Daily Beast noted that Wallace’s decision not negotiate his contract at CNN “comes as other anchors face being fired or having salaries cut as declining ratings and cord-cutting hit the industry’s bottom line.”
Last month, journalist Lachlan Cartwright reported that CNN CEO Mark Thompson had offered Wallace “a new deal for significantly less than the $8.5 million pact he inked under former CNN boss Jeff Zucker.”
In a statement on Monday, 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 future.”
Wallace will continue to appear on CNN until the end of the year.
