After nearly 100 years on the air, CBS News Radio will officially shut down on Friday evening, bringing an end to one of the most historic chapters in American broadcasting.
The radio service first launched in 1927 and laid the foundation for what would eventually become the broader CBS News network. Over the decades, it became a trusted voice for millions of Americans, especially during moments of crisis and major world events.
One of its most iconic programs, CBS World News Roundup — the longest-running network radio newscast in the United States — began in 1938. During the years leading up to and throughout the Second World War, listeners tuned in to hear Edward R. Murrow and other correspondents reporting live from Europe. Their eyewitness accounts brought the realities of war directly into American homes and helped people better understand events unfolding across the globe.
Reflecting on the power of radio during that era, veteran CBS journalist Dan Rather shared personal memories in a tribute on CBS Sunday Morning.
“My father and mother were very interested in what was happening in Germany. He and my mother viewed radio as the kind of magic carpet that would take you there,” Rather said.
Rather also spoke about how deeply radio shaped his childhood experience.
“I had rheumatic fever as a child, so I was confined to bed,” he recalled. “I was almost … riveted to the radio because it was my constant companion.”
Long before becoming a television anchor, Rather began his career in radio. In 1963, while working for a CBS affiliate in Dallas, he was assigned to cover President John F. Kennedy’s motorcade visit. Following JFK’s assassination, Rather quickly became one of the central journalists reporting the story for CBS.
Looking back on the role of radio news in American life, Rather said the service helped connect the country during difficult moments.
“CBS Radio should be remembered for becoming a national institution.”
Throughout its history, CBS News Radio earned a reputation for dependable breaking news coverage and international reporting. Allison Keyes, a CBS News Radio host and correspondent, said the network built public trust by delivering clear, factual reporting when audiences needed it most.
She pointed to the September 11 attacks as a defining example.
“People needed to know what was going on that day and they needed to know real time: no filter, no politics. Here’s what’s happening,” Keyes said, recalling her own experience reporting on the attacks and their aftermath.
More recently, the network became especially known for its hourly news updates, broadcast across roughly 700 affiliate stations throughout the United States.
Ted Johnson, politics and media editor at Deadline, said those broadcasts carried a level of credibility listeners depended on.
“Every hour on the hour, you turn on the radio and you can hear that special chime — and you know that it’s an authoritative voice, that what they are telling you has been checked out,” Johnson said.
“It’s not a rumour; it’s not speculation. It’s what is happening right now and what is most important.”
Still, media experts say the decline of radio news reflects broader changes in how audiences consume information today.
Richard John, a professor of history and communications at Columbia University’s journalism school, praised CBS News Radio for its strong reporting and reliability, calling it a “trusted voice for millions of Americans and for folks around the world.”
At the same time, he acknowledged that news habits have dramatically shifted in the digital era.
“How many folks are listening to radio news these days?” John asked, noting that many people now turn to online platforms, social media, and newsletters for updates instead.
“We are not all tuning in at one time as we once did,” he explained. “If there’s breaking news, you’re not going to your radio to hit the dial to CBS; you are going to be checking online.”
The closure follows earlier cuts to CBS radio programming in late 2025, including the cancellation of Weekend Roundup and World News Roundup Late Edition.
When informing staff about the shutdown and layoffs earlier this year, CBS News editor-in-chief Bari Weiss said the company had explored multiple options to keep the radio operation alive.
“We did everything we could, including before I joined the company, to try and find a viable solution to sustain the radio operation,” Weiss said.
However, she added that “radical changes in the media industry” meant “we just could not find a way to make that possible.”
Weiss, formerly an opinion writer and founder of The Free Press, took over leadership of CBS News after ownership changes at the company. In August, Paramount — CBS’s parent company — was acquired by Skydance Media, led by David Ellison, the son of Oracle founder and longtime Donald Trump supporter Larry Ellison.
Although traditional radio audiences have declined, some critics argue CBS News Radio could have evolved instead of disappearing altogether. Johnson said the network’s well-known brand might have succeeded through podcasts or streaming platforms.
“There are many different ideas that some of these radio stations, radio networks and radio news services can tap into at this time, especially because we’re talking about CBS News Radio, which is a recognizable brand,” he said.
Johnson believes the shutdown represents more than just the loss of a radio network. In his view, it signals a shrinking space for traditional journalism and factual reporting in an increasingly opinion-driven media landscape.
Since the start of 2026, several major American news organizations have faced cuts and restructuring. The Washington Post reduced its workforce significantly, while The Associated Press offered buyouts to more than 120 journalists. Paramount has also expanded its media holdings by acquiring CNN.
“All of these news sources have been kind of overshadowed by the growth of opinion voices, whether that’s in podcasts or on cable news or in streaming,” Johnson said.
“When it comes to radio, we’re going to be down to just a few major players out there and then the concern becomes who is controlling the voice that most Americans hear?”
Harnaik Singh Rathor is the Founder, Publisher, and Editor-in-Chief of StudioX News Canada, Canada's multilingual digital news network serving diaspora communities across 44 languages. With a background in media production, public relations, and multicultural communications, he founded StudioX Film and TV Corporation to bridge the gap between mainstream Canadian media and the country's diverse immigrant communities. He is a member of the Canadian Association of Journalists (CAJ), RTDNA Canada, CPRS Vancouver, Unifor, NEPMCC, and the Canada Freelance Union. He holds CAVCO Personnel Number SINH0106. Based in Surrey, British Columbia. | LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/harnaiksinghrathor/ | Muck Rack: https://muckrack.com/harnaiksinghrathor | Email: editor@studioxnews.ca
