“This is going to remain a solid news hour, with our best news stars,” Wallace said, adding: “Journalism is a huge part of the mandate here.”…

“It was a tough day for a lot of people here,” acknowledged Wallace, who spent time as Smith’s producer. “The thing about this place, there is a camaraderie, a ‘us against the world’ mentality,” he added. “These are more like familial bonds as opposed to just passing, transactional relationships. That’s why it hit so hard with a lot of people.”

He indicated Fox News would consider its own news staffers for the new 3 p.m. program, but also suggested the network could be open to an external candidate. “We aren’t rushing into it,” he said. Using a rotating lineup of anchors “lets us figure out what works well for us” and “figure out what works for these times.”