CBS News Radio, with origins that trace back to the founding of the network nearly a century ago, will be shut down on May 22.
CBS News editor in chief Bari Weiss and CBS News president Tom Cibrowski announced the closure of the unit on Friday, as the news division undergoes another round of jobs cuts.
In a memo obtained by Deadline, they wrote, “Today, we informed our CBS News Radio team and approximately 700 affiliated stations that we will end the service on May 22, 2026.
“Unfortunately, this decision means that all positions within the CBS News Radio team are being eliminated. We understand how difficult this news is for our staff and their colleagues, who have worked side by side with us to cover some of the most significant stories of our time.”
They said that a shift “in radio station programming strategies, coupled with challenging economic realities, has made it impossible to continue the service.”
CBS sold its owned radio stations to Entercom (now called Audacy) in 2017, but it continued its news service. With its distinctive “bing” and jingle at the top of the hour, CBS News Radio has been for decades a leading source of audio news updates across the country. CBS News Radio also played a role in the creation of broadcast journalism, particularly with Edward R. Murrow’s on-the-ground reporting from London during the blitz in World War II.
Weiss and Cibrowski wrote, “For nearly 100 years, CBS News Radio has delivered original reporting to the nation — from Edward R. Murrow’s World War II reports in London to today’s daily White House updates. Our signature broadcast, ‘World News Roundup,’ remains the longest-running newscast in the country. CBS News Radio served as the foundation for everything we have built since 1927.”
The complete memo from Weiss and Cibrowski below:
Today, we informed our CBS News Radio team and approximately 700 affiliated stations that we will end the service on May 22, 2026.
Unfortunately, this decision means that all positions within the CBS News Radio team are being eliminated. We understand how difficult this news is for our staff and their colleagues, who have worked side by side with us to cover some of the most significant stories of our time.
While this was a necessary decision, it was not an easy one. A shift in radio station programming strategies, coupled with challenging economic realities, has made it impossible to continue the service. We are sharing this announcement now to fulfill our commitments to our radio partners and affiliates, which require advance notice of the service’s conclusion.
For nearly 100 years, CBS News Radio has delivered original reporting to the nation—from Edward R. Murrow’s World War II reports in London to today’s daily White House updates. Our signature broadcast, “World News Roundup,” remains the longest-running newscast in the country. CBS News Radio served as the foundation for everything we have built since 1927.
The coming weeks will be difficult for the team members who have worked tirelessly at CBS News Radio. We are committed to supporting these valued colleagues with care and respect as we wind down operations. They have been critical to our success and remain treasured friends and professionals. We thank them deeply for their contributions.
Thank you all for your dedication and for the compassion you show one another as we move forward.
Bari and Tom
