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Chris Plante

b. 1959

American radio personality

Radio personality Talk show hostTelevision journalist
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About Chris Plante

Born 1959. Chris Plante is an American radio personality, talk show host and television journalist.

Christopher Plante (born December 12, 1959) is an American talk radio host and journalist currently hosting a syndicated radio program heard on Westwood One and a nightly TV talk show on Newsmax TV.

Early life Plante was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin to Jules and Barbara (née Barnes) Orteig. The family later moved to the Chicago area; Chris Plante later lived in Glenview and Winnetka, Illinois and graduated from New Trier West High School. He later attended Santa Barbara City College and the University of California, Santa Barbara but withdrew before graduating in order to work full-time in news.

Career

CNN Plante worked at CNN from 1988 to 2005, mostly covering The Pentagon and U.S. Military. At various times at CNN, he was a Pentagon correspondent, senior producer for national security affairs, military affairs producer, and an assignment editor. Plante traveled to foreign locations, including Saudi Arabia, Bosnia, Vietnam, Indonesia, Africa, and the former Soviet Union covering stories for CNN.

Radio After leaving CNN, Plante joined Washington talk station WMAL as a weekend host in 2005. Guest hosts include Mary Walter and Mike Opelka.

Plante has filled in for national hosts including Mark Levin, Michael Savage and Rush Limbaugh.

In 2016, Cumulus Media announced Plante would be nationally syndicated by Westwood One, replacing Herman Cain's program, which reverted to a local program. The Herman Cain Show would still air in the Atlanta, Jacksonville, Orlando, Tulsa, and Dayton markets. Westwood One and Plante's home station, WMAL, are both owned by Cumulus Media.

Newsmax In May 2023, Newsmax announced it would broadcast a new 9PM panel show titled Chris Plante The Right Squad. The show will film in Washington DC and will feature Plante, Jenn Pellegrino, and other regular panelists.

Awards Plante received the Edward R. Murrow Award from the Radio Television Digital News Association (RTNDA) for his reporting from the Pentagon during the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001.

In 2015, Plante won a Reed Irvine Award for Excellence in Journalism from Accuracy in Media.

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Important facts

Birth century
Nationality
Education
Santa Barbara City College, University of California, Santa Barbara, New Trier High School
Employers
WMAL-FM, CNN, Fox News, Westwood One
Awards
Edward R. Murrow Award; Media Research Center; Accuracy in Media; Edward R. Murrow Award (Radio Television Digital News Association)

Family & relationships

Parent
Bill Plante

People in Chris Plante's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Chris Plante's

Frequently asked questions

Who is Chris Plante?

American radio personality

When was Chris Plante born?

Chris Plante was born on 12 December 1959 in Milwaukee.

What is Chris Plante's occupation?

Chris Plante is a radio personality, talk show host and television journalist.

What nationality is Chris Plante?

Chris Plante is American.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Chris Plante

· Wikidata: Q27663164

· DBpedia: Chris Plante

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Chris Plante. https://biography.guide/chris-plante/

MLA: "Chris Plante." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/chris-plante/.

Chicago: "Chris Plante." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/chris-plante/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-24 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

Portrait: Wikimedia Commons · author & licence

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