For nearly a century, the familiar sound of CBS Radio News has been woven into the fabric of American broadcasting. From historic war coverage and presidential elections to breaking news alerts interrupting ordinary afternoons, generations of listeners grew up hearing those iconic top-of-the-hour updates roll out across local radio stations nationwide. But tonight, one of the most historic chapters in broadcast radio officially comes to a close as CBS News Radio signs off after almost 99 years on the air.
And as the industry absorbs the emotional weight of that moment, Audacy is already moving quickly to ensure continuity across many of its major News and News/Talk stations by transitioning to ABC News Audio programming.
The shift has already begun in several key markets.
Listeners tuning into WBBM Newsradio in Chicago and WCCO Radio in Minneapolis started hearing ABC News updates at the top and bottom of the hour beginning Thursday as the stations moved away from the longtime CBS affiliation.
Additional Audacy all-news and news/talk outlets — including KNX News, KCBS Radio, and KMBZ-FM — are also expected to complete the transition as CBS News Radio delivers its final network newscast Friday night.
In a statement announcing the expanded partnership, Audacy said the move to ABC News Audio would allow stations to continue providing national and international coverage while maintaining strong local journalism efforts in their respective markets. Existing ABC affiliates within the company, including stations in New York and Philadelphia, will remain aligned with ABC as part of the broader rollout.
And honestly, for longtime radio people, this one feels strange.
Really strange.
Because CBS Radio News wasn’t just another network feed. It was part of the DNA of American broadcasting. This was the network that carried the voices of legendary correspondents into homes and car radios during some of the biggest moments in world history. For decades, stations built entire news formats around that sound. The famous chimes. The delivery. The urgency. The authority.
Radio veterans didn’t just hear CBS News.
They trusted it.
That’s why the transition feels bigger than a normal affiliation change.
It feels like the end of an era.
What’s fascinating is how quickly the industry adapted once the closure became official earlier this year. In many markets, stations wasted little time securing replacement national news partnerships to avoid any interruption in service. For all-news stations especially, continuity matters. Listeners expect that top-of-the-hour reset. They expect national headlines to seamlessly connect with local coverage. The machine never stops moving.
Still, there’s no question the sound will feel different.
Radio people notice those things.
The network opens.
The pacing.
The anchors.
The music beds.
The cadence.
It’s muscle memory for broadcasters and listeners alike.
And somewhere tonight, there are likely radio veterans sitting in studios across America quietly listening to the final CBS Radio News broadcast with a lump in their throat.
Because whether you worked for a CBS affiliate or not, you understood what that network represented.
History.
Consistency.
Legacy.
And now, another legendary piece of radio history officially fades into the archives while a new chapter begins with ABC News Audio stepping into the space for many of America’s largest news stations.
That’s radio.
Always evolving.
Always emotional.
Always moving forward whether we’re ready or not.
Just Plain Steve is a longtime broadcaster, pastor, and storyteller who still believes radio remains one of the most powerful and emotional mediums ever created.
On The Dial covers breaking radio industry news, including layoffs, programming changes, talent moves, and broadcast trends across the United States.