Godspeed, CBS News Radio
• After nearly a century of delivering the latest news to the world in an unbiased and professional manner via some 700 affiliates, today marks the sad demise of the venerable CBS News Radio, the latest victim — along with Stephen Colbert — of CBS cost-cutting.
RAMP has learned that the network’s final broadcast will be the update tonight at 11:31pm ET. Speaking for many in our industry, former longtime CBS News anchor Dan Rather said, “It’s another piece of America that is gone.”
As was announced in March, CBS News is shuttering its 99-year-old CBS News Radio division, part of 6% staff cuts announced by Bari Weiss, Editor-In-Chief of CBS News, and CBS News President Tom Cibrowski, in the latest round of cost cutting under new management at Paramount Skydance. Their joint staff memo reads, in part, “This decision means that all positions within the CBS News Radio team are being eliminated. 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.”
CBS Sunday Morning did a lengthy profile of CBS Radio News on May 6. The link to that segment is posted HERE, nicely augmented by an intro produced by “Radio’s Best Friend,” Art Vuolo.
• With the help of several knowledgeable pros, RAMP has compiled a fairly accurate list of current CBS Radio News anchors, reporters and managers who will become free agents at the end of business today. That list is posted below:
Adrienne Bard — Mexico City
Vickie Barker — Anchor/Reporter, based in London
Robert Berger — Anchor/Jerusalem
Heather Bosch — Seattle
Tushar Saxena – News Manager/Editor
Dustin Gervais — Manager
Sabina Castlefranco — Reporter, based in Rome
Brad Gibson — Reporter/Paris
Lucy Craft — Tokyo
Christopher Cruise — fill-in anchor, Washington
Chris Fox — Austin
Jeff Gilbert — Auto Beat reporter, Detroit
Wendy Gillette — fill-in anchor, New York
Linda Gradstein — Jerusalem
Erica Herskowitz — New York (Sports)
Stephan Kauffman — Prescott, Arizona
Jennifer Keiper — Anchor/Reporter
Linda Kenyon — Washington
Allison Keyes — Anchor, Washington
Peter King — Anchor, Orlando
Jim Krasula — Anchor, Carolinas
Stacy Lyn — Washington
Chris Mavridis — Toronto
Cami McCormick — Washington
Debrorah Rodriquez — Anchor/Reporter
Michael Toscano — Washington
Michael Wallace — Anchor/Reporter, New York
If you or a CBS Radio News colleague would like your names to be added to this growing list, please email Kevin@RAMP247.com.
Please keep these talented and dedicated broadcasters in mind for filling any current or future news opportunities. Thank you.
