CBS News to Shut Down Radio Network

CBS News is pulling the plug on a longtime staple. The network has announced that it will shut down CBS News Radio on May 22, ending a service that dates back to 1927. The move impacts about 700 affiliate stations, including locally, WTOP, and eliminates the entire radio division. In a memo to staff, CBS News President Tom Cibrowski and Editor in Chief Bari Weiss called the decision difficult but necessary, citing changing station programming strategies and economic realities that made the service unsustainable.

The shutdown comes as part of a broader round of layoffs hitting CBS News, with about 6 percent of the newsroom expected to be cut. The reductions extend beyond radio and follow an earlier round of layoffs at parent company Paramount, which eliminated 2,000 jobs last fall. Leadership says the changes are part of a larger effort to reposition CBS News for the future, shifting resources toward digital platforms and new audiences as traditional broadcast models continue to face pressure.

The cuts come amid an ongoing turnaround effort that has yet to show results. Since Weiss took over editorial leadership following the Paramount Skydance deal, CBS has made several high profile changes, including a revamp of the CBS Evening News anchor desk. More from WTOP.