CBS is closing CBS News Radio and laying off roughly 6 percent of its workforce.
Executives characterized the cuts as a difficult but necessary reallocation of newsroom resources as a Bari Weiss restructuring begins. This represents the second round of layoffs since David Ellison took control of Paramount last summer. While previous cuts in October predated Weiss, this round specifically reflects her vision for the company.
The move affects about 700 radio stations and brings to an end a 100-year run.
CBS News president and executive editor Tom Cibrowski framed the changes in a morning memo, stating, “It is no secret that the news business is changing radically, and that we need to change along with it. New audiences are burgeoning in new places, and we are pressing forward with ambitious plans to grow and invest so that we can be there for them. He added that some parts of the newsroom must get smaller to make room for the things the network must build to remain competitive.”
Staff members were informed in a subsequent memo that CBS News Radio will officially sign off the air on May 22. Leadership wrote, “While this was a necessary decision, it was not an easy one.” They cited a shift in radio station programming strategies combined with challenging economic realities as the primary factors that made it impossible to continue the service.