“Fired For Overall Excellence”: Former CBS News Radio Staff Make Statement

Nearly five months after CBS News shut down its radio news service, former CBS News Radio employees gathered in New York Monday night to accept two national Edward R. Murrow Awards. The network was honored for Overall Excellence and Best Newscast, the latter recognizing CBS World News Roundup coverage of the plane crash at Reagan National Airport. About 25 former staff members and colleagues attended the ceremony When the group took the stage to accept the Overall Excellence award, they held signs reading “Fired for Overall Excellence.” The moment drew a standing ovation that lasted several minutes.

CBS News Radio ended operations May 22 after nearly a century on the air, eliminating a news service heard on approximately 700 stations nationwide. CBS cited economic pressures and changing station programming strategies in its decision.

Among those accepting the award was former CBS News Radio Vice President and General Manager Craig Swagler, now President and CEO of Baltimore Public Media. Other former employees onstage included Dustin Gervais, Amy Bolton, Jennifer Brown, and Tara Lipinsky.