Chris Plante | |
|---|---|
| Born | Christopher Orteig 1959 (age 65–66) Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S. |
| Education | Santa Barbara City College (attended) University of California, Santa Barbara (attended) |
| Occupation | Radio Talk Show Host |
| Spouse | Sarah Gilmore de Ruiter (married 1983 - 1989) |
| Parent(s) | Jules Orteig (father) Bill Plante (stepfather) |
| Relatives | five brothers[2]Chris was married to Sarah Gilmore de Ruiter from 1983 to 1989. He has no children |
| Awards | Edward R. Murrow Award |
Christopher Plante (born 1959) is an American talk radio host and journalist currently hosting asyndicated radio program heard onWestwood One[3] and a nightly TV talk show onNewsmax TV.
Plante was born inMilwaukee, Wisconsin to Jules and Barbara (née Barnes) Orteig.[4] His maternal grandfather Pat Barnes was a Chicago-based radio host andWorld War I veteran.[5] After his father Jules died in 1960, his mother Barbara re-married in 1965 to journalistBill Plante.[4] The family later moved to the Chicago area; Chris Plante later lived inGlenview andWinnetka, Illinois and graduated fromNew Trier West High School. He later attendedSanta Barbara City College and theUniversity of California, Santa Barbara but withdrew before graduating in order to work full-time in news.[5]
Plante worked atCNN from 1988 to 2005, mostly coveringThe Pentagon and U.S. Military.[6][7] At various times at CNN, he was a Pentagon correspondent, senior producer for national security affairs, military affairs producer, and anassignment editor. Plante traveled to foreign locations, includingSaudi Arabia,Bosnia,Vietnam,Indonesia,Africa, and the formerSoviet Union covering stories for CNN.[8]
After leavingCNN, Plante joinedWashington talk stationWMAL as a weekend host in 2005.[8] He sometimes hosted a joint show with liberal hostJerry Klein.
In 2005, Plante moved to weeknights, and in 2008 he moved to the midday time slot. In 2009, Plante's show was briefly replaced byThe Joe Scarborough Show, but demand from fans saw his return to the 9 AM – Noon time slot in October 2009.[9] Guest hosts includeMary Walter andMike Opelka.[10]
Plante has filled in for national hosts includingMark Levin,Michael Savage andRush Limbaugh.
In 2016,Cumulus Media announced Plante would be nationally syndicated by Westwood One, replacingHerman Cain's program, which reverted to a local program.[11]The Herman Cain Show would still air in the Atlanta, Jacksonville, Orlando, Tulsa, and Dayton markets.[12] Westwood One and Plante's home station, WMAL, are both owned by Cumulus Media.
In May 2023,Newsmax announced it would broadcast a new 9 PM panel show titledChris Plante The Right Squad. The show will film in Washington DC and will feature Plante, Jenn Pellegrino, and other regular panelists.[13]
Plante received theEdward R. Murrow Award from theRadio Television Digital News Association (RTNDA) for his reporting from the Pentagon during the terrorist attacks onSeptember 11, 2001.
In 2015, Plante won aReed Irvine Award for Excellence in Journalism.[14]