Fox News Media’s CEO Suzanne Scott and President Jay Wallace sent a letter to employees congratulating anchor Chris Wallace for his “professionalism, skill and fortitude” during the “extraordinary” first presidential debate in Cleveland on Tuesday night.
“We are extremely proud of his professionalism, skill, and fortitude in a unique situation while doing everything possible to hold both candidates accountable,” they wrote. “No moderator could have managed a debate of that magnitude better than Chris.”
Fox News Media CEO Suzanne Scott and President Jay Wallace congratulate presidential debate moderator Chris Wallace for “professionalism, skill and fortitude” during last night’s debate between President Trump and Democratic nominee Joe Biden. Full memo below: pic.twitter.com/NXbEIAfLfA
— Joe Concha (@JoeConchaTV) September 30, 2020
The letter also praised the “flawless execution” of the “challenging circumstances” surrounding debate coverage by Bret Baier, Martha MacCallum, Tucker Carlson, Sean Hannity, Laura Ingraham, and Shannon Bream. The hosts “led our pre and post-debate programs with the most informative, insightful and compelling coverage on television,” Scott and Wallace wrote.
According to the letter, 17.8 million people tuned in to watch the debate which was the “highest-rated presidential commission debate in cable news history.” Fox also experienced a 300 percent increase in digital streaming of the debate on Youtube and Facebook compared to 2016.
“This exceptional performance on both linear and digital is a testament to everyone’s incredible talent and hard work,” the letter stated.
Wallace received criticism from across the political spectrum for his performance.
