Chris Wallace is leaving CNN

Chris Wallace says he’s leaving CNN after three years, and at age 77, he’s eager to see what a transformed media environment has to offer.

“When I look at the media landscape right now, it seems like the people who are going independent, whether it’s podcasting or streaming, that’s where the action is,” he said Tuesday.

It’s hard to find a clearer sign of how the company is changing. The quintessential broadcast news anchor, Wallace, the son of CBS News legend Mike Wallace, worked at both ABC and NBC News and hosted “Fox News Sunday” for 18 years before leaving CNN in 2021.

He was hired to be a leading personality for the CNN+ streaming service, which the company abandoned a month after launching in 2022. That forced him to combine a role at CNN with a Saturday morning political show and a broader interview program on Max, and appearances on the network as a commentator.

Wallace called the exit amicable. CNN CEO Mark Thompson called him “one of the most respected political reporters in the news business” and said he wishes him the best.

Thompson likely faces some tough decisions going forward, with CNN’s TV ratings cratering and an increased emphasis on digital looming.

Wallace said it’s more appealing to him to be in control of what he’s doing at this stage of his career. Don’t expect big changes to his brand — he’ll likely stick to interviews and political analysis and not favor one political side over another — and he said he’s already heard some expressions of interest.

Retirement is not in the blood. His father worked well into the late 80s on “60 Minutes”. Also, Chris Wallace said, “no one in my family wants me to retire.”