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End Of An Era: CBS Shutting Down Radio News Division After 100 Yrs.
It's been reporting on world events for almost a century. But now CBS Radio News is the one making headlines, with the announcement the entire division is being axed.
It's the latest in a series of cuts by new boss Bari Weiss, who has also overseen a somewhat disastrous revamp of the once legendary CBS Evening News on TV.
That nightly broadcast has fallen to historic lows since she took over and replaced dual anchors with former morning show host Tony Doukpil.
CBS Radio News will officially be heard for the last time on May 22nd, as the network cuts staff by at least 6%.
CBS News Radio is being dissolved after nearly 100 years as part of layoffs announced by Bari Weiss
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Re: End Of An Era: CBS Shutting Down Radio News Division After 100 Yrs.
My first paying job in radio was at CKEY's NewsRadio, which owned the rights to CBS Radio News in Canada. One of my all time thrills was getting some tape of a hostage taker at a local bank in Toronto, an exclusive that we fed to New York.
They lead with it for six hours straight before it was resolved and I got a cheque for $50 U.S., which meant more to me than the cash value for a fresh-out-of-college novice.
CBS News was a great resource and though times have certainly changed since those days, I will miss its presence on the radio.
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Thread Starter- tdotwriter
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Re: End Of An Era: CBS Shutting Down Radio News Division After 100 Yrs.
This is a sad sign of the times and a symptom of serious illness in the industry, especially when you consider that "radio" is a broad term that can also refer to more "modern" delivery mediums such as streaming audio and social media. Simply put, if their company was "healthy" financially, they probably wouldn't just be axing the entire radio news division with no elements of it left in place.
The exceptionally dramatic format change on WCBS 880 from a standalone (but co-owned) all-news format to ESPN Radio might have been "market forces" in action, but this is serious financial trouble on plain display, regardless of how "right" or "wrong" it might be.
- Chrisphen
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Re: End Of An Era: CBS Shutting Down Radio News Division After 100 Yrs.
It's difficult to overstate just how gawdawful Weiss is in her current role.
- RadioAaron
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Re: End Of An Era: CBS Shutting Down Radio News Division After 100 Yrs.
I was kind of surprised how long is lasted after CBS otherwise got out of the radio business.
- RadioActive
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Re: End Of An Era: CBS Shutting Down Radio News Division After 100 Yrs.
I believe Corus owns the rights to CBS Radio news in Canada, and frequently had on some of their reporters for debriefs on stories of world interest. That appears to be over.
As for what's being lost, CBS World News Roundup is (or was) the longest running newscast in North America. It will soon be silenced.
It was also home to the legendary Edward R. Murrow, whose famous sign-off during WWII, was "Good night - and good luck" - the same name as the now famous movie and Broadway play with George Clooney.
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Thread Starter- RadioActive
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Re: End Of An Era: CBS Shutting Down Radio News Division After 100 Yrs.
This is bad news for another reason, as radio stations that were affiliates scramble to find a new source for top-of-the-hour newscasts.
"A few broadcast networks, including ABC and Fox, operate national radio divisions and offer programming that is similar to that of CBS News Radio. A few CBS News Radio affiliates are already having discussions with ABC News Radio about carrying their news updates and reports when CBS News Radio winds down in May, according to two sources. Others are likely to pick up Fox News Radio in the future."
CBS News Radio to end in May, 700 affiliates scrambling for new national programming
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Thread Starter- BowmanvilleBob
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Re: End Of An Era: CBS Shutting Down Radio News Division After 100 Yrs.
The iconic CBS Radio News sounder has been a part of broadcasting history for several decades:
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Re: End Of An Era: CBS Shutting Down Radio News Division After 100 Yrs.
CBS Radio News has been around so long, it's become a staple of every day life for many radio listeners.
KNX Los Angeles, a former CBS O&O, now an Audacy all news station, was forced to try and explain to listeners what it means when the nearly 100 year service goes silent in May. (Starts around the 1:30 mark, after way too many ads.)
Not something you hear on the radio very often.
KNX Explains: CBS News Radio to shut down after nearly 100 years. What does this mean for listeners?
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Thread Starter- RadioActive
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Former City TV turned one-time CBS anchor John (J.D.) Roberts regrets the move. 
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Thread Starter- torontostan
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Re: End Of An Era: CBS Shutting Down Radio News Division After 100 Yrs.
Never understood how these, nor Fox Sports Radio, have lasted this long
- turkeytop
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Re: End Of An Era: CBS Shutting Down Radio News Division After 100 Yrs.
Sad news for me. But I'm encouraged by the fact that it is also sad news for some of you too.
I've never worked in radio. For me it's just a passion.
But I know many of you work or have worked in radio, and it has often seemed to me that some of you have been like cheer leaders for the medium's demise. Now I can hope that maybe I've been wrong about that.
After all is said and done, more is usually said than done.
- Dicky Doo
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turkeytop wrote:
It has often seemed to me that some of you have been like cheer leaders for the medium's demise.
Niothing could be further from the truth
D.D.
Last edited by Dicky Doo (March 21, 2026 1:17 pm)
- 67GreenRambler
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Re: End Of An Era: CBS Shutting Down Radio News Division After 100 Yrs.
The future of OTA radio and TV is going in this direction. One of them, in Nairn, broadcast 1 hr a day and nothing on Saturday. With a staff of 12.
- Saul
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CBS shutting down their radio news service is a lamentable decision. I'd like to think there could've been cuts made elsewhere to keep the department (even if only at a skeletal level) instead of just dispensing with it entirely.
I can't imagine a *business decision* to keep anything 'even only at a skeletal level' just to keep it alive.
- paterson1
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Re: End Of An Era: CBS Shutting Down Radio News Division After 100 Yrs.
Why did CBS even have a radio news department when they sold all of their radio stations to Entercom (the financially troubled Audacy) 28 years ago?
- RadioAaron
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Re: End Of An Era: CBS Shutting Down Radio News Division After 100 Yrs.
Why did CBS even have a radio news department when they sold all of their radio stations to Entercom (the financially troubled Audacy) 28 years ago?
I'll guess that providing the service was still financially viable and technologically sound. The landscape hadn't fractured so much in 1998 - nor had the trust in media eroded.
Which brings us to 2026...oh, how things have changed.
Yes, it was run by CBS's TV division and the majority of customers were non-CBS stations.
- ED1
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CBS News' website has a page where you can download the current and former CBS News Radio jingles
- RadioActive
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For our friends in and near Windsor:
WWJ says it's 'not going anywhere' as CBS reveals plan to end radio news
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Thread Starter- RadioActive
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The New York Times looks back at a century of the historic radio network.
An Aural Companion for Decades, CBS News Radio Crackles to a Close
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Thread Starter- MJ Vancouver
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For our friends in and near Windsor:
WWJ says it's 'not going anywhere' as CBS reveals plan to end radio news
I wondered about that, I know they have a bunch of all-news stations. KCBS in San Francisco is another one.
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Re: End Of An Era: CBS Shutting Down Radio News Division After 100 Yrs.
As CBS gets ready to shut down its storied near century-old radio news service, the network is paying tribute to its amazing legacy and its presence at so many historical milestones. It's re-airing some of those broadcasts right up until the network goes silent for good on May 22nd.
Here are two of the first ones they've released from the archives.
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Thread Starter- RadioActive
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Here's another vintage CBS Radio News broadcast as the clock ticks down to its demise. A pivotal moment in history.
The network is celebrating its past, before it signs off for good on May 22nd.
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Thread Starter- RadioActive
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Re: End Of An Era: CBS Shutting Down Radio News Division After 100 Yrs.
CBS has been posting flashbacks of its radio news history for the past month, as the century-old service nears a shutdown this month.
This one hits home for those in broadcasting. It's the story of Studio 9, where some of its most famous broadcasts originated and legendary news people worked - and the day it closed for good.
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Thread Starter- RadioActive
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Re: End Of An Era: CBS Shutting Down Radio News Division After 100 Yrs.
With just one week left in its existence, some former CBS Radio News employees look back fondly at an era in radio that will never come again. I like the guy who's made the CBS News intro one of his ringtones.
A Fond Farewell to CBS News Radio
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