WGAE Statement on CBS News Radio
NEW YORK, NY (May 21, 2026)—The following is a statement from the Writers Guild of America East (WGAE) on the closure of CBS News Radio:
After 99 years of broadcasting, CBS News Radio will be shut down this evening following the 11:31pm newscast. For nearly a century, listeners at home or on their daily commutes tuned in to radio stations across the country to hear daily news reports and coverage of breaking news from trusted journalists at CBS News Radio.
David Ellison and Bari Weiss broke its trust with its employees and its audience in a single reckless and shortsighted decision. This closure erodes a vital news source for listeners of more than 700-affiliated stations across the country and twenty-six WGAE members with decades of experience and dedication to journalism will be out of work.
CBS News Radio’s journalists have been unionized with the Writers Guild of America East since the Guild was established in 1954. Its broadcasts have been a part of the fabric of this country from the first time on the air—from Edward R. Murrow’s frontline reporting during World War II to Charles Osgood’s poetic daily commentary to Gail Lee’s notable obituaries and feature stories that earned her numerous Writers Guild Awards.
Ellison and Weiss at the helm of CBS News has led to a further erosion in the integrity of the free press. We are troubled that this trend will continue if Paramount-Skydance is able to merge with Warner Bros. Discovery and acquire CNN. We encourage members to sign the #BlockTheMerger petition that has over 5,000 signatures.
In the meantime, we intend to ensure that CBS meets all obligations under its collective bargaining agreement with the WGA, and we demand that it honor the value that its employees have contributed to building CBS News as a trusted source of independent and unbiased news by providing fair severance to all impacted employees.
We honor and celebrate the amazing journalists and media workers who made CBS News Radio a pillar of journalism. Good night, and good luck.
ABOUT THE WRITERS GUILD OF AMERICA EAST
The Writers Guild of America East, AFL-CIO, is a labor union of more than 7,500 members working in film, television, news, podcasts and online media. The Guild negotiates and administers contracts that protect the creative and economic rights of its members; conducts programs, seminars and events on issues of interest to writers; and presents writers’ views to various bodies of government. For more information on the Writers Guild of America East, visit wgaeast.org.
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