When Warner Bros. Discovery decided to pull the plug on the streaming service CNN Plus just a few weeks after its launch, there was a lot of carnage around the network. Shows were scuttled and layoffs mounted.
But the service's highest-profile program survived.
"Who's Talking to Chris Wallace?" — where the veteran journalist and ex-Fox News anchor sits down for lengthy conversations with a wide range of subjects — found a home on the parent company's streaming service HBO Max.
A new season of "Who's Talking" started streaming last week and the guest list included director James Cameron, "Succession" co-star Brian Cox, cookbook author Ina Garten and sports analyst Terry Bradshaw.
Wallace, 75, talked about his transition to CNN and the anxiety he experienced when Barbara Walters tried to pair up with his father, Mike Wallace.
Q: Your entry into CNN had to be a little unsettling. Former CNN chief Jeff Zucker was replaced by Chris Licht. How concerned were you about all this?
A: My main concern was the staff. A bunch of people had come over either from secure jobs at CNN or from other places, other networks, and, taking a chance on me and this venture and CNN Plus. So Job 1 was let's try to protect everybody. Was it unsettling? Absolutely. But I can't say that I really felt I was being cast adrift, or that we weren't going to find a landing spot.
Q: You worked at ABC News when Barbara Walters was there. Your father, Mike Wallace, competed with her, and your stepfather, Bill Leonard, knew her. So I'm guessing you have a few stories.
A: Bill Leonard at a certain point became the president of CBS News. But even before that he was the vice president of CBS News and in charge of "60 Minutes." And whenever Barbara's contract came up he'd get a call — I don't remember whether it was from Barbara directly or from her agent — but basically saying, "How about you and Barbara having lunch together?" And he would. Maybe the first time he got excited, but after that, as it got to the third or fourth time, he knew the game. It was basically Barbara wanting to sit down with Bill Leonard to get [ABC News President Roone Arledge] a little bit scared so he'd give her more money in her contract. And he knew the game and he enjoyed having lunch with Barbara.
Q: I gather that Mike must have known her pretty well, too.
A: So in 1986 my father was single and Barbara was single. And Barbara came kind of sniffing around to see whether there might be something between her and my father. And when I heard this, all I could think was, "God, it's tough enough being Mike Wallace's son. I really don't want to be Barbara Walters' stepson."
Q: Did they go out at all?
A: I don't know if they went out at all or not, but it certainly was nothing serious. Let me put it this way — there was no chance in the world that Mike Wallace was going to be Mr. Barbara Walters. Now, you've got to admit that that's a pretty good story.
