CBS News announced it will close its long-running radio news operation after nearly 100 years, citing difficult economics and audiences shifting to digital platforms and podcasts. The service, which first went on air in September 1927 and helped launch the CBS network, will cease distribution on May 22. It supplies material to roughly 700 stations nationwide.
Veteran anchor Dan Rather said he was saddened by the decision, calling the loss another piece of America. CBS News editor-in-chief Bari Weiss told staff the company explored options to keep the radio unit running but could not find a sustainable path, and acknowledged radio’s deep role in the network’s history.
The radio division produced defining broadcasts across the decades: Edward R. Murrow’s reports from London during the Nazi bombing in World War II, the network’s early coverage of events such as Germany’s 1938 actions in Austria, and Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Depression-era Fireside Chats are among its landmark moments. Familiar voices including Douglas Edwards, Dallas Townsend and Christopher Glenn became staples on the service, which was best known for top-of-the-hour news roundups.
CBS has been trimming radio programming for months in attempts to keep the service viable, cutting late-year shows like the Weekend Roundup and the World News Roundup Late Edition. The company did not immediately say how many radio-specific jobs will be lost; on Friday it also announced broader newsroom cuts of about 6 percent, roughly more than 60 positions.
Industry observers framed the shutdown as part of a long shift in how Americans consume audio news. Radio’s role as a primary news medium waned after television rose in the 1950s, and many listeners now turn to podcasts and other digital formats. Michael Harrison, publisher of trade outlet Talkers, called the end of the service a shame and a loss for both the industry and the country, noting CBS News Radio’s long reputation for trusted journalism.
The move comes as parent company Paramount Global navigates major strategic changes, including proposed deals involving Warner Bros. Discovery and its news assets. The announcement did not immediately appear on the front page of CBS News’ website.
Weiss, a founder of the Free Press website who has been a polarizing figure since her hire under new corporate management, has pushed for a shift in editorial approach. In January she said the network should produce journalism that would “surprise and provoke,” and she has overseen new hires and contributors as part of a broader strategy change.