Chris Wallace and Other CNN+ Hosts Are Jockeying for Broadcast Slots as Streamer Implodes

Wallace is CNN’s front-runner for a primetime show, but Brian Williams and Keith Olbermann are emerging as external rivals, insiders tell TheWrap

The implosion of CNN’s streaming ambitions dealt another embarrassing black eye to the cable news giant, and triggered an internal competition for hosting jobs that could see Chris Wallace landing a coveted primetime slot — but he’s facing external competition from former MSNBC hosts Brian Williams and Keith Olbermann.

The coming days will ignite a potential reshuffle of the cable network’s lineup, with six CNN+ hosts vying for new assignments or expanded roles after the streamer abruptly shuttered just three weeks after launch. Wallace, the star newsman lured from rival Fox News last December, is the internal favorite to switch over to the broadcast channel and inherit the 9 p.m. bully pulpit left open since Chris Cuomo was fired late last year.

Become a member to read more.
Joe Bel Bruno

Joe Bel Bruno

Joe Bel Bruno is TheWrap's Editor at Large, Business. He most recently served as the Founding Editor of the business news site dot.LA. He was previously the Managing Editor of Variety, and served as Deputy Business Editor and later Deputy Entertainment Editor at the Los Angeles Times. Bel Bruno also ran markets coverage for The Wall Street Journal. Before that, he was an award-winning reporter at the Associated Press in New York, and held senior posts in London and New York for Knight Ridder Financial.