Over the past few months, viewers have seen a number of changes occur at CBS News since the installation of Bari Weiss as editor-in-chief. Recently, another large round of layoffs has been announced for the network. This will come with the end of a major division at CBS.
News Was Confirmed To Staff In A Memo By Bari Weiss & Tom Cibrowski
Weiss has worked with a number of outlets throughout her career. This includes The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, and the German daily newspaper, Die Welt. She is also known for founding the media company, The Free Press, which was previously known as Common Sense.
However, Weiss was recently made the editor-in-chief of CBS News following Paramount Skydance’s purchase of The Free Press. Since then, multiple changes have occurred at the network, with people taking on new roles at the company as others leave.
Many of these changes have impacted the figures viewers see on television. However, it has soon been revealed that the network plans to dissolve its radio news division.
As noted by Radar Online, the change will cause nearly 70 employees to lose their jobs with the company. CBS News Radio has been around for close to a century. However, falling ad revenue, as well as radio’s competition with podcasts and other audio outlets, is believed to have brought the division to its end.
An Insider Described The Story As A ‘Sad Day For Radio & Journalism’
The radio team comprises around 6% of the overall CBS staff. While some will be released entirely, it is believed that others may instead be reassigned.
One CBS staffer recently weighed in on the story with the outlet. They shared, “It’s a sad day for radio and journalism. The move by CBS leaves one fewer competitor in the radio news business. And listeners are the ultimate losers, left with fewer choices where they get their news.”
Reportedly, Weiss, as well as CBS President/Executive Editor Tom Cibrowski, shared the news with employees in a memo that read that “all positions within the CBS News Radio team are being eliminated.” It continued, “We understand how difficult this news is for our staff and their colleagues, who have worked side by side with us to cover some of the most significant stories of our time. While this was a necessary decision, it was not an easy one. A shift in radio station programming strategies, coupled with challenging economic realities, has made it impossible to continue the service.”
Back in October, around 100 employees were let go as part of a massive “restructuring” following Skydance Media’s acquisition of parent company Paramount. In recent months, the network has also faced other issues, from CBS Evening News dropping in ratings to facing competition with ABC and NBC.
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John Witiw has been a writer since at least 2015. He’s covered a variety of topics, especially when it comes to film and television.
