CBS News Closes Iconic Radio Service After Nearly a Century

CBS News is shutting its iconic radio operations, ending service after nearly a century. The network said the radio unit will stop distributing material on May 22.

The closure accompanies a fresh round of layoffs. Executives pointed to changing station programming and difficult economic conditions.

Origins and reach

The radio service began broadcasting in September 1927. It helped launch the broader CBS network and William S. Paley’s career.

At its peak, the service supplied material to an estimated 700 stations. It became best known for top-of-the-hour news roundups.

Historical significance

The service produced landmark journalism. Edward R. Murrow filed reports from London during World War II.

Murrow later confronted Senator Joseph McCarthy in the 1950s. The network’s radio work helped shape modern broadcast news.

How audiences changed

Radio dominated news in the 1920s through the 1940s. Americans listened to President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s fireside chats during the Depression.

Television largely supplanted radio in the 1950s. Today, listeners often turn to online platforms, phones and podcasts instead.

Network reaction and leadership

Editor-in-chief Bari Weiss and president Tom Cibrowski described the decision as necessary but difficult. They informed staff via an internal memo.

Weiss has drawn attention since taking leadership. She invoked the network’s legacy and warned the organization must change course.

She also added 18 contributors and previously delayed a “60 Minutes” segment about the Trump administration’s deportation policy. Weiss founded the Free Press website and had no prior broadcast-news experience before being hired by Paramount’s new management.

Public notice and next steps

Filmogaz.com reported the network’s homepage did not immediately post the announcement. Affiliates will lose a long-running source of hourly newscasts on May 22.

The shutdown marks the end of a radio institution. Stations and listeners will now adapt to new news distribution models.