Fox has always been brilliant replacing its stars in primetime, but it won’t be so easy with Chris Wallace

In prime time, where Fox News has reliably — and easily — dominated the cable news ratings for decades, opinion hosts have been largely interchangeable. When the network’s highest-rated host, Bill O’Reilly, was forced out after 21 years amid sexual harassment allegations in 2017, the network didn’t flinch. As critics predicted the network’s ratings dominance might leave with O’Reilly, Fox installed Tucker Carlson, and Fox’s die-hard and dependable audience showed up—and Carlson soon set a record for the most-watched show in cable news history.