CBS News has announced a major round of layoffs, cutting about six per cent of its workforce — roughly 60 jobs — and shutting down its nearly century-old radio service, CBS News Radio. The decision was revealed in a memo from Bari Weiss, editor-in-chief and Tom Cibrowski, president, who said changing programming strategies and tough financial realities made it impossible to keep the radio unit running. The service will officially go off air on 22 May.
This marks the second wave of layoffs since Paramount’s David Ellison took charge last summer, and more cuts are expected. The move comes as Paramount awaits approval for its deal to buy Warner Bros., though CBS sources stressed that the layoffs were not linked to any future ownership changes.
Weiss and Cibrowski explained that the shake-up reflects the fast-changing news industry. They said CBS must shrink some parts of its newsroom to invest in new areas and stay competitive with shifting audience habits. Weiss, who joined CBS last October with a mandate to rebuild trust, reportedly tried to save the radio unit but revenue challenges made it unsustainable.
The cuts have affected several well-known correspondents and anchors across major cities, including Elaine Quijano in New York, Omar Villafranca in Dallas, and David Schechter, the network’s environmental correspondent. Staff in Washington, Los Angeles, Las Vegas and Houston were also reportedly impacted.
Leadership promised affected employees would be treated with care and respect, thanking staff for handling the difficult news with compassion.eleb
