Chris Wallace jokes about demise of CNN+ in Guy Fieri interview
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CNN host Chris Wallace joked about his tenure on the short-lived CNN+ in an interview with Guy Fieri, noting how he nearly lost his show when the streaming service shut down.
Wallace, who was hired by Fox News as a marquee for the ill-fated CNN+, made the comments in a new episode of his show Who’s Talking To Chris Wallace, now released on HBO Max and CNN.
Referring to celebrity chef Fieri’s impressive lineup of multiple shows on the Food Network, Wallace made a self-deprecation that he hosted only one show.
‘This is my only series. This is my only studio. This is my only set. So we have to be very careful with it. Because I almost lost him a few months ago, as we all know, right?” he said, according to a clip shared by Mediate.
CNN host Chris Wallace joked about his tenure on the short-lived CNN+ in an interview with Guy Fieri, noting how he nearly lost his show when the streaming service closed.
‘This is my only set. So we have to be very careful with it. Because I almost lost him a few months ago, as we all know, right?” Wallace told Fieric
During the interview, Wallace also asked Fieri how many shows he’s had in total, and joked, “You don’t have to list them, because it would make me feel really bad.”
Launched in April, CNN+ lasted just a month before the new bosses at the combined Warner Bros. Discovery pulled the plug amid disappointing subscriber numbers.
Wallace’s future was uncertain for a while, but last month his show was relaunched in an expanded format, featuring three episodes every Friday on HBO Max and highlights from the interviews airing on CNN on Sunday at 7 p.m.
CNN+ was launched just weeks before Discovery closed its merger with CNN parent company Warner Bros, which also owns HBO.
Discovery CEO David Zaslav took over as head of the new combined entity and reportedly ordered the baby CNN+ service to be discontinued as the company shifted its focus to bundling content under the HBO Max banner. .
Wallace’s new show was supposed to air on CNN plus, but the streaming service was shut down less than a month after launch, a decision under the network’s new leadership. Chris Licht (pictured) Chairman and CEO, CNN Worldwide speaks onstage at the Warner Bros. Discovery Upfront 2022 Show at The Theater at Madison Square Garden, NYC May 18, 2022
Chris Wallace attends the CNN+ Launch Event at PEAK NYC Hudson Yards on March 28, 2022 in New York City.
In a September interview with USA Today, Wallace spoke of his rough start at the new network, calling it a “bumpy road.”
‘It took me three months to prepare for’ [CNN+]and it’s an interesting thing in the business: I had a bunch of very smart people who said this was the future of news on television, and then some other very smart people came in and said, ‘No,'” the veteran news said. anchor.
“What I’m especially excited about, though, is that the program has survived and is frankly on a bigger and better platform than ever,” he added.
“So it’s going to attract a lot more viewers than the old plan was. It was a bumpy road to get here, but I’m glad we did,” said Wallace.
After spending $300 million, CNN+ was shut down and 300 employees were laid off within weeks of its launch
The legendary broadcaster, whose father was the late 60 Minutes Mike Wallace, has hosted Fox News Sunday for decades.
His new weekday talk show revolves around interviews with celebrities and people in the fields of sports, entertainment, arts and culture, and goes beyond the politics for which Wallace is known.
Meanwhile, Fox News tapped Shannon Bream as the new anchor for Fox News Sunday, making her the first woman to lead the program in its 26-year history.