Chris Wallace, the longtime host of “Fox News Sunday” whose hard-hitting interviews have been a fixture of Washington politics, is leaving the network to join rival CNN as an anchor for its upcoming streaming service, CNN+.
Rotating anchors will fill in for Mr. Wallace until a permanent replacement is named, including Bret Baier, Dana Perino, Bill Hemmer, Jennifer Griffin and John Roberts, according to a person familiar with the matter.
Mr. Wallace said on his show that Fox News kept its promise not to interfere with the show’s guest bookings or meddle in questions.
“After 18 years, I have decided to leave Fox,” Mr. Wallace said. “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.”
Mr. Wallace, a five-decade veteran of the broadcasting industry, has been among the most high-profile journalists in the network’s news division. He has won plaudits from colleagues in the news-media world for being tough on newsmakers in both parties in his interviews.
“We are extremely proud of our journalism and the stellar team that Chris Wallace was a part of for 18 years,” Fox News said in a statement.
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Mr. Wallace said in a statement released by CNN that his show on CNN+ would feature interviews with newsmakers. “I am excited to explore the world of streaming,” Mr. Wallace said. “I look forward to the new freedom and flexibility streaming affords in interviewing major figures across the news landscape—and finding new ways to tell stories.”
Mr. Wallace’s move to CNN+ is one of the biggest signs yet that CNN is investing heavily in its pivot to direct-to-consumer streaming. Beyond bringing in on-air talent, CNN was planning to hire hundreds of producers, contributors and developers for the effort, The Wall Street Journal reported in June. The service will include a mix of live shows and longer content including documentaries.
Mr. Wallace, 74, is the latest marquee journalist in TV news to join CNN+. Earlier this year, the network said it had hired Kasie Hunt, a political journalist at NBC’s news division, to anchor a show on the service. Mr. Wallace will also pitch in on political news for the streaming service, including coverage of conventions, according to a person familiar with the situation.
Other major TV news outlets have launched rival services. Fox Corp. has debuted Fox Nation, which features opinion programming and other content, including a documentary series hosted by Tucker Carlson. NBCUniversal has TV news on Peacock, its flagship streaming service, including the Choice, a progressive news and commentary channel.
Chris Wallace, pictured left with Democratic Sen. Paul Simon in 1988, covered major presidential contests for NBC News throughout the 1980s.
Photo: Roger Sandler/NBC/NBC Newswire/Getty Images
Mr. Wallace’s tough reporting on conservatives has proved unpopular, at times, with some Republican politicians and Fox News colleagues. Mr. Wallace has also been the target of critics on the left who said he wasn’t being hard enough on conservatives. It took eight years for Mr. Wallace to get an interview with former President Barack Obama.
During former President Donald Trump’s term in office, Mr. Wallace was critical of administration officials on issues ranging from the coronavirus pandemic to their treatment of the press, earning cheers from liberals but scorn from many conservatives. Mr. Trump tweeted that the veteran broadcaster was “nasty and obnoxious” and a “ Mike Wallace wannabe.” Mr. Wallace is the son of legendary TV newsman Mike Wallace.
Mr. Wallace has moderated several presidential debates, including the first general-election debate of the 2020 election season between Mr. Trump and then-candidate Joe Biden. He received criticism for not being more assertive as Mr. Trump frequently interrupted the proceedings in what became a chaotic debate. Mr. Wallace later told the New York Times, “I never dreamt that it would go off the tracks the way it did.”
Soon after the 2020 presidential election, Mr. Wallace broke into a speech by Mr. Trump to fact-check the former president’s false claim that he had won, when several states were still too close to call and votes were being counted. “This is an extremely flammable situation and the president just threw a match into it,” Mr. Wallace said. “He hasn’t won these states.”
Mr. Wallace began his career at a local NBC station in New York in 1975, according to a biography on Fox News’s website. He worked his way into the upper ranks of NBC’s news division, covering major presidential contests throughout the 1980s and serving as chief White House correspondent.
Later, Mr. Wallace spent 14 years at ABC News, where he served as a correspondent and substitute host for “Nightline.” He joined Fox News in 2003.
Mr. Wallace has won several major broadcasting awards, including three Emmy Awards and a Peabody Award.
The cable news landscape is shifting as major anchors go off the air or ink new deals that put the future of their time-slots in doubt. MSNBC anchor Brian Williams signed off the network last week after nearly three decades at NBC’s news division. MSNBC star Rachel Maddow is expected to cut down her TV work as she pursues other endeavors.
Chris Cuomo was fired earlier this month by CNN, after the network determined he violated its standards by helping his brother, former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, respond to allegations of sexual harassment. Mr. Cuomo said at the time he regretted leaving CNN and praised his co-workers. Andrew Cuomo has denied wrongdoing.
Write to Benjamin Mullin at Benjamin.Mullin@wsj.com
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