CBS News Radio ended its broadcasting service on Friday, May 22, 2026, after operating for just shy of 100 years [1].
The shutdown marks the end of a cornerstone of American broadcast journalism. As listeners shift toward digital streaming and podcasts, the closure of this national network signals a broader transition in how the U.S. consumes breaking news and historical reporting.
Chief Washington correspondent Major Garrett presented the network's final hours through a marathon of historic archive clips [2]. The broadcast served as a retrospective of the network's role in documenting the 20th and 21st centuries, beginning with its earliest days in the 1930s.
Among the clips featured was the network's first broadcast, which covered the Republican National Convention in 1932 [3]. Other early milestones included the sound of Big Ben ringing in the new year in 1933 [4], and Edward R. Murrow introducing Paris cabaret music in 1937 [5]. The year 1938 was particularly pivotal, marking the launch of the CBS World News Roundup [6], the fall of Austria to Nazi Germany [7], and Orson Welles' "War of the Worlds" broadcast [8].
The final retrospective also highlighted the network's coverage of global conflicts and royal transitions. This included reports on the D-Day invasion of Normandy in 1944 [9], and the surrender of Japan in 1945, which ended World War II [10]. The marathon concluded with later highlights, such as the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953 [11].
CBS News Radio operated as a national network across the U.S. [2], providing a primary source of information for generations of listeners before the dominance of television and the internet. The network's sign-off on Friday concludes a century of audio journalism that spanned the most volatile eras of modern history [1].
“CBS News Radio is signing off after nearly a century of broadcasting”
The dissolution of CBS News Radio reflects the ongoing decline of linear radio as a primary news vehicle. By ending a service that began in 1932, CBS acknowledges that the traditional network model—distributing a single audio feed to various regional affiliates—has been superseded by on-demand digital media. This move likely allows the organization to consolidate its journalistic resources into multi-platform digital streaming and podcasting.
