CBS News Radio concluded its 99-year [1] history of broadcasting on Friday, May 22, 2026 [3].
The shutdown marks the end of a century-long era of terrestrial news delivery. As audiences migrate toward digital platforms and podcasts, the closure reflects a broader decline in traditional radio news infrastructure across the U.S.
The network's final broadcast featured a retrospective program titled “Good Night and Good Luck,” which looked back at the organization's long history [2]. The program aired across CBS affiliates and on WHAV, concluding around 11:31 p.m. ET [3, 4].
CBS said the decision to shut down was driven by “challenging economic realities” and changes in how radio programming is structured [5]. The retrospective served as a final farewell to the listeners who relied on the network for national news updates for nearly 100 years [2].
In a final nod to its legacy, the network utilized the famous sign-off of Edward R. Murrow. A special report said that "CBS News Radio is going off the air tonight" [6], ending with the phrase, "Good night, and good luck" [7].
This sign-off echoed the journalistic standards of the mid-20th century, bridging the gap between the network's origins and its final moments of transmission. The closure removes one of the last remaining pillars of the original golden age of American radio news [1, 2].
“CBS News Radio is going off the air tonight.”
The dissolution of CBS News Radio signifies more than a corporate restructuring; it represents the final transition of the American news cycle from the linear, scheduled era of radio to an on-demand digital environment. By citing economic realities, CBS acknowledges that the cost of maintaining a nationwide radio news network no longer aligns with current advertising and consumption trends.
