CBS News Radio, a pillar of American broadcast journalism since 1927, is being eliminated as part of sweeping cuts at the network.
CBS News editor in chief Bari Weiss and CBS News President Tom Cibrowski announced Friday that CBS Radio will cease operations on May 22, with all roles in the unit eliminated, part of broader workforce reductions that cut roughly 6% of CBS News staff, affecting an estimated 60 to 70 positions. The pair told employees that "a shift in radio station programming strategies, coupled with challenging economic realities, has made it impossible to continue the service," adding that while it was "a necessary decision," it was "not an easy one."
According to the New York Post, Weiss and Cibrowski said affected staff would be treated "with care and respect." The shutdown has been described as driven by industry shifts and financial pressure from David Ellison, CEO of CBS parent Paramount Skydance. No direct statement from Ellison has been made publicly available regarding the decision.
The closure has drawn sharp criticism from veterans of the network who argue the move is premature and strategically shortsighted. Former leaders of the radio division say CBS is walking away from a massive audience at a time when the network is attempting to reinvent itself. The debate underscores a growing tension in legacy media between cost-cutting imperatives and the value of broad public reach.
Harvey Nagler, who spent 18 years at CBS News, including an 18-year stint as VP of radio before retiring in 2016, called the decision premature. He noted CBS Radio still reached 700 radio stations and drew 23 million listeners per week. "At some point in time, closing it was going to be inevitable, but I don't believe now was the time to do it," Nagler said.
Nagler argued that those in corporate positions "were not aware of the clout and the reach of CBS News Radio." He characterized the shutdown as "a profound strategic failure," noting that as CBS tries to rebrand itself, eliminating the radio division represents a "massive marketing opportunity" lost. His sharpest line cut to the core: "You can't cut your way to growth."
Craig Swagler, a former vice president and general manager of CBS Radio Network who is currently president and CEO of Baltimore Public Media, echoed the concern. "It's a major impact on the accessibility of information across the country," Swagler said. He added, "We are living at a time where there are fewer and fewer independent voices and where people across the country can turn for information."
Swagler noted that before he left CBS approximately three years ago, the radio network reached roughly 30 million weekly listeners. He described CBS's flagship program "World News Roundup," which has aired since 1938, as the "origin of the invention of modern-day broadcast journalism." That program's roots trace directly to Edward R. Murrow's groundbreaking overseas reporting.
According to Swagler, Murrow went to Europe as an education director and kept phoning back to CEO William S. Paley, warning that Germany's aggression against Austria was escalating and that Adolf Hitler intended to annex the country. Murrow ultimately convinced the network to air a report on Sunday, March 13, 1938 — the same day as the Nazi invasion of Austria. "We often look at media as a business and not as a public service," Swagler said.
From a purely financial standpoint, the decision follows a familiar corporate playbook: cut legacy divisions with declining revenue potential and redirect resources. The broader CBS layoffs eliminated an estimated 60 to 70 jobs across the news operation. Reports from unnamed CBS sources have referenced large expenditures elsewhere, including $7.7 billion for UFC rights and $150 million connected to The Free Press, though the network has not publicly detailed how these figures relate to the radio shutdown.
The network also faces labor-related risks. According to the source material, CBS could face labor grievances or proceedings before the National Labor Relations Board if cuts are perceived as selective rather than across-the-board. No formal charges have been reported at this time.
For free-market observers, the situation presents a familiar paradox. Cutting costs is rational. Eliminating a division that still reaches tens of millions of Americans weekly — while spending billions elsewhere — raises serious questions about capital allocation and strategic priorities. Efficiency matters, but so does knowing what you're actually selling.
CBS News Radio has operated continuously since 1927, making it one of the longest-running news operations in American media history. Its roster once included legendary journalists such as Edward R. Murrow and Walter Cronkite. A 1956 photo from the CBS archive shows Cronkite and Murrow together at a CBS News desk, a reminder of the institution's storied past. The elimination of CBS News Radio is not just a corporate restructuring footnote — it is a signal about where legacy media believes its future lies. Whether that bet pays off depends on execution. Nagler's warning resonates: you cannot simply slash your way to relevance.
For investors and media watchers alike, the takeaway is straightforward. Legacy brands carry real value, but only if leadership understands what that value is and where it lives. Cutting a 98-year-old radio division with millions of weekly listeners to fund other ventures is a gamble — and one that CBS's own former executives believe is deeply misguided.