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Chris Wallace Left Fox News and joined CNN earlier this year in hopes of hosting a primetime show on the network.
But things didn’t work out that way. First, Wallace’s show aired on the now-defunct CNN+ streaming service.
Then, Wallace’s show was kicked over to HBO Max after CNN had to shut down its streaming service after spending roughly $300 million on the failed project.
After being passed over for a primetime hosting gig, new CNN CEO Chris Licht says Wallace’s show will remain on HBO Max but will also air on CNN one night a week.
“Licht announced back in May at the company upfront that Wallace’s interview streaming program on CNN+ named Who’s Talking to Chris Wallace? will stream on HBO Max—and air on the CNN TV network weekly on Sunday evenings; but he did not disclose a timeslot. Until now,” Ad Week reported.
“A big part of the CNN brand is respectful, authentic and impactful interviews—and one of the best interviewers in the business is Chris Wallace, who is here with us this morning,” Licht remarked at the time. “We’re excited to announce that Who’s Talking to Chris Wallace? will return to production this fall, with episodes on HBO Max and on our CNN linear channel on Sunday evenings. Chris’s show will be part of what we’re calling ‘CNN Sunday.’ It’s a unique opportunity for your brands to appear alongside our premium content.”
CNN’s experiencing extreme cuts as new ownership is trying to salvage what’s left of the far-left network.
A day after “Reliable Sources” host Brian Stelter signed off his last program at the network, a new report says Licht is far from through with making alterations.
Licht, who replaced Jeff Zucker at the helm of CNN earlier this year, began evaluating the extremely partisan on-air talent shortly after he took over. And the phone call on Friday comes on the heels of news that one of the network’s hosts, Stelter — whose weekly “Reliable Sources” program has seen tanking ratings for more than a year — was leaving after his show was reportedly canceled.
Now, changes are coming to the flagging “New Day” morning show.
The Daily Wire reports:
It will be replaced by a roundtable-type program patterned after MSNBC’s “Morning Joe,” possibly hosted by Jake Tapper, according to RadarOnline. Licht has reportedly tried to hire “Morning Joe” husband-wife hosts Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski away from the rival liberal cable news network.
“Chris comes from the same breeding ground as [former CNN boss Jeff] Zucker: morning television,” a CNN insider told RadarOnline. “He wants to establish a popular morning show that sets the agenda for the network each day. He doesn’t want to change anchors frequently. He wants strength and stability — and believes it all starts in the all-important morning timeslot.”
“New Day” was launched by Zucker in 2013. It first featured hosts Chris Cuomo, Kate Bolduan, and Michaela Pereira, with “blue-pilled former Fox News host Alisyn Camerota” later joining the show, The Daily Wire noted. Camerota was eventually replaced as well; the current hosting duo consists of Brianna Keilar and John Berman.
One CNN insider told Deadline that the decision to dismiss Stelter and cancel his program was “coming from above.”
“If this isn’t coming from John Malone directly, it sure represents his thinking with lieutenants doing his bidding,” the insider noted further.
Licht told CNN employees and talent earlier this summer that he was aware the network had experienced massive changes in a short period of time, what with Zucker being terminated along with host Chris Cuomo amid scandal.
“You heard me say in my first town hall that I am going to make decisions slower than some would like,” Licht said then. “I know this organization has been through tremendous change over the last four months, which is why I am approaching this process slowly and thoughtfully as we look at all parts of the operation. We will realign where it makes sense to best serve our people and the business.”
Media insider Jon Nicosia also dropped some names as to who may be leaving CNN next.
“Source: Once the coming shakeup at @CNN is done, don’t expect John Berman, Alisyn Camerota, Jim Acosta, Brianna Keilar, Jake Tapper, John King, and Don Lemon to still be at the network OR have their current show assignments,” he wrote, citing the source.
Last week, another noted CNN contributor and personality is leaving the scandal-rocked network.
Longtime legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin, who recently survived a masturbation episode that led to his firing from New York Magazine, has announced he is leaving the legacy news network.
Toobin abruptly made his announcement on Friday as it looked as though CNN was not likely to renew his contract.
