Former Fox News host Chris Wallace’s debut on CNN failed to draw a significant amount of viewers.
The Washington Examiner reported ratings for Wallace’s show, “Who’s Talking to Chris Wallace,” found only 401,000 viewers tuned into the program.
The Examiner noted Nielsen Media Research tracked the ratings for the show.
According to the ratings, viewership was down 29% from the average.
The show was viewed by only 44,000 among those aged 25 to 54, a 64% decrease from the average.
Additionally, the Examiner pointed out Fox News’s “Sunday Night in America with Trey Gowdy” attracted 1.3 million viewers and 78,000 viewers aged 25 to 54.
The program aired the same time as Wallace’s.
It was reported in December 2021 that Wallace would leave Fox News after 18 years for CNN.
“I want to try something new to go beyond politics, to all the things I’m interested in. I’m ready for a new adventure. And I hope you’ll check it out,” Wallace said at the time.
In a news release, Fox News praised Wallace’s work with the show’s “stellar team.”
The statement continued, “The legacy of FOX News Sunday will continue with our star journalists, many of whom will rotate in the position until a permanent host is named.”
Jeff Zucker, CNN’s chairman, said Wallace “is as fine a journalist as there is in our business.”
He added, “This speaks volumes about our commitment to journalism and CNN+, and we are thrilled to have Chris on the ground floor of helping us build the next generation of CNN and news.”
In March, Wallace spoke with The New York Times about his departure from Fox News.
“I just no longer felt comfortable with the programming at Fox,” Wallace said.
According to Wallace, he is “fine with opinion: conservative opinion, liberal opinion.”
However, he said, “When people start to question the truth — Who won the 2020 election? Was Jan. 6 an insurrection? — I found that unsustainable.”