One of the most important audio news services in American history is coming to an end.
CBS News has confirmed that CBS News Radio will sign off for the final time on May 22, closing a chapter that dates back to the early days of modern broadcasting. The decision, according to leadership, reflects “challenging economic realities” and a rapidly changing media landscape.
A Tremendous Loss for Audio Information
This is more than an industry headline.
For the visually impaired community, audio news is not just convenient — it is essential. Reliable radio broadcasts provide immediate, accessible access to information without the barriers often found in digital platforms.
CBS News Radio currently supplies top-of-the-hour programming to approximately 700 affiliated stations across the country. Its disappearance leaves a major gap in the audio news ecosystem.
As Michael Harrison, publisher of Talkers magazine, put it:
“This is another part of the landscape that has fallen off into the sea. It’s a shame. It’s a loss for the country and for the industry.”
An Unmatched Legacy
The historical significance of CBS News Radio cannot be overstated.
This is the network that delivered Edward R. Murrow’s World War II reports from London into American homes. It is also the home of the World News Roundup, the longest-running newscast in the United States.
As CBS leadership acknowledged, the radio division “served as the foundation for everything we have built since 1927.”
With the elimination of the entire radio team, we are losing not just a service, but the voices behind decades of trusted reporting.