CBS News layoffs will disrupt a key national news pipeline for Chicago's top-rated all-news station, WBBM Newsradio.
The big picture: CBS News laid off 6% of its staff on Friday to cut costs. The cuts include shutting down CBS News Radio, which began broadcasting in 1927 and offered national newscasts to over 700 stations nationwide.
CBS News Radio traces its roots to Chicago as United Independent Broadcasters before rebranding and moving to New York.
WBBM Newsradio, owned by CBS Radio for decades, was sold to Audacy in 2017.
Yes, but: WBBM still relies on those CBS national newscasts, which anchor its hourly format.
What they're saying: The announcements were made to staff on Friday morning via two memos from CBS News leadership.
"While this was a necessary decision, it was not an easy one," they said, referring to the radio cuts.
"A shift in radio station programming strategies, coupled with challenging economic realities, has made it impossible to continue the service."
Locally, Audacy declined to comment on what the station will do when the newscasts end on May 22.
State of play: The radio cuts are notable given CBS News' legacy as a pioneer in news radio.
Its flagship program, "World News Roundup," is the longest-running daily radio newscast in the country.
WBBM — Chicago's only all-news station — ranked No. 1 in January ratings, with CBS national reports as a key part of its format.
Zoom out: It's been a tough month for the WBBM family. Longtime morning host John Hultman died March 15 at 89.
Hultman and co-host Felicia Middlebrooks dominated morning ratings in the 1980s and 1990s.
