Iconic century old radio station CBS News Radio is set to close it's doors with the loss of 70 jobs. It has been confirmed the channel, which was the precursor to the enitre CBS broadcasting empire, will air for the last time on May 22 this year. Upon learning the news legendary CBS News anchor Dan Rather said: "It's another piece of America that is gone."

The closure of the operation, which provides material to an estimated 700 stations across the US was announced on Friday March 20 by CBS News CEO Bari Weiss and president in a memo to staff. "Radio is woven into the fabric of CBS News and that's always going to be part of our history," she said delivering the news to the staff. "I want you to know that we did everything we could, including before I joined the company, to try and find a viable solution to sustain the radio operation," Weiss said.

"But with the radical changes in the media industry, she said, "we just could not find a way to make that possible," she added.

Former VP of radio for the company Harvey Nagler, who left in 2016, told New York Post he didn't agree with the decision.

"At some point in time, closing it was going to be inevitable, but I don't believe now was the time to do it.

"Those in a corporate position were not aware of the clout and the reach of CBS News Radio. It's a profound strategic failure. It's unfortunate on that basis alone," he said.

Meanwhile the former VP of the radio network Craig Swagler said the shutdown will have a "major impact to the accessibility of information across the country."

The network first took to the airwaves on September 18, 1927 and will close just 16 months shy of celebrating it's 100th birthday.

CBS News already cut some of its radio programming late last year, including its Weekend Roundup and World News Roundup Late Edition, in an attempt to keep the service going.

The changes come following the takeover of CBS's parent company, Paramount Skydance, by billionaire mogul David Ellison over the summer of 2025.