Cbs News To Shutter Radio Network After 99 Years And Cut 6 Percent Of Staff In Latest Controversial Move By Bari Weiss

CBS News is group to commencement awesome layoffs Friday and will unopen down nan astir 100-year-old CBS News Radio later this twelvemonth arsenic caller editor-in-chief Bari Weiss, nether Paramount Skydance CEO David Ellison, reshapes nan network.

The Tiffany Network’s news section could trim its workforce by arsenic overmuch arsenic 6 percent, group acquainted pinch nan matter told nan New York Post and Variety.

An insider told The Post that nan existent information of layoffs is expected to impact astir 60 employees. Earlier reports suggested that nan web mightiness trim up to 15 percent of its full workforce.

A CBS News spokesperson did not reside nan specifics of nan layoffs erstwhile contacted by The Independent. They did, however, supply nan soul memo sent to labor Friday from Weiss and CBS News president Tom Cibrowski.

“Today we are reducing nan size of our workforce, and labor who are affected will beryllium notified by nan extremity of nan day,” nan memo reads. “We admit that this is simply a difficult clip for those who will beryllium leaving CBS News. Because these aren't conscionable names connected a list. They are talented, committed colleagues who person been captious to our success. We'll dainty them each pinch attraction and respect.”

Weiss and Cibrowski besides sent retired different memo to CBS News Radio staffers Friday that reads, “Today, we informed our CBS News Radio squad and astir 700 affiliated stations that we will extremity nan work connected May 22, 2026.”

“Unfortunately, this determination intends that each positions wrong nan CBS News Radio squad are being eliminated. We understand really difficult this news is for our unit and their colleagues, who person worked broadside by broadside pinch america to screen immoderate of nan astir important stories of our time,” it continues.

As nan memo explained, CBS News Radio has been bringing original reporting to Americans since 1927. Its early days included historical reports for illustration Edward R. Murrow’s World War II sum from London, and it continues to this time pinch regular updates from nan White House. Its main program, “World News Roundup,” is nan country’s longest-running newscast.

“While this was a basal decision, it was not an easy one,” executives said successful nan memo. “A displacement successful power position programming strategies, coupled pinch challenging economical realities, has made it intolerable to proceed nan service. We are sharing this announcement now to fulfill our commitments to our power partners and affiliates, which require beforehand announcement of nan service’s conclusion.”

Weiss, 41, became CBS News’ editor-in-chief aft Paramount acquired her media startup, The Free Press, successful October 2025.

The existent information of cuts comes arsenic Weiss pushes to make CBS News much appealing to younger, digitally focused viewers. As portion of her plan, she’s moving nan web distant from its accepted attraction connected regular TV broadcasts and is putting much attraction and resources into integer and streaming platforms.

“It’s nary concealed that nan news business is changing radically, and that we request to alteration on pinch it,” Friday’s memo reads. “New audiences are burgeoning successful caller places, and we are pressing guardant pinch eager plans to turn and put truthful that we tin beryllium location for them. That intends immoderate parts of our newsroom must get smaller to make room for nan things we must build to stay competitive.”

Before these latest layoffs, 11 staffers from CBS Evening News, astir a 4th of nan show’s team, had already accepted voluntary buyouts past month, according to The Post. These offers were first announced backmost successful January, erstwhile CBS guidance called them an “extraordinary chance” for labor to time off up of company-wide reductions.

Weiss’ clip successful complaint has besides stirred immoderate contention beyond staffing changes, including nan cancellation of a high-profile question and reply pinch New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani.

Mamdani reportedly withdrew from a planned question and reply pinch CBS News, due to concerns complete nan network’s coverage. He had been scheduled to meet pinch “CBS Sunday Morning’s” Robert Costa but hesitated owed to captious reporting from The Free Press, nan pro-Israel integer outlet tally by Weiss. Mamdani had condemned U.S. and Israeli strikes connected Iran arsenic a “catastrophic escalation” of an forbidden war, criticizing nan bombing of cities and civilian casualties while urging Americans to attraction connected home issues.

CBS News contributor Masih Alinejad, who survived an assassination effort by Iranian agents successful 2025, rebuked Mamdani for ignoring existent threats to Iranian dissidents successful New York and misdirecting anger toward guiltless Iranians. Weiss amplified Alinejad’s disapproval connected X, sharing nan clip of Alinejad’s and adding nan “fire” emoji, which Vanity Fair reported arsenic nan “nail successful nan coffin,” prompting Mamdani to backmost retired of nan interview.

Earlier this week, it was reported that CBS Evening News ratings had fallen below 4 cardinal viewers for nan first clip since Tony Dokoupil became big pursuing Weiss’ web overhaul.