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

“When I look at the media landscape now, at the people becoming independent, whether it’s podcasting or streaming, that seems to be where the action is happening,” he said Tuesday.

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

He was hired as a leading personality for the streaming service CNN+ leave the company a month after its launch in 2022. That forced him to cobble together a role at CNN, with a Saturday morning political show and a broader interview program about 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 journalists in the news business” and said he wishes him well.

Thompson will likely face some tough decisions in the future, given CNN’s ratings craters and a greater emphasis on digital threats.

Wallace said it’s more appealing for him to have control over what he does at this stage of his career. Don’t expect any major changes to his brand — he’ll likely stick to interviews and political analysis, not favoring one political side over the other — and he said he’s already heard some expressions of interest.

Pension is not in the blood. His father worked well into his eighties at “60 minutes.” Besides, Chris Wallace said, “no one in my family wants me to retire.”

___

David Bauder writes about media for the AP. Follow him up http://x.com/dbauder.