CBS Radio Network (PatrZDZ's vision)

**CBS Radio Network** is a radio network that provides news to more than 1,000 radio stations throughout the United States. The network is owned by Paramount Global and is distributed by Skyview Networks.

## Background

The network is the second-oldest unit of Paramount Global after Paramount Pictures. CBS Radio traces its roots to CBS's predecessor, United Independent Broadcasters, founded in 1927 with 47 network affiliates. The next year, Columbia Records invested in the radio network, which was named the Columbia Phonographic Broadcasting System. Eventually, the record company pulled its backing from the struggling web. William S. Paley bought a half-interest in what became the Columbia Broadcasting System in 1928, and became its president. (In 1938, CBS bought its former parent, Columbia Records.)

## Programming

### Stations and affiliates

Today, CBS Radio Network is best known for its news and public affairs programming distributed to more than 500 affiliates, including flagship station WCBS in New York, and several other all-news and news-talk stations. They include KNX in Los Angeles, WBBM in Chicago, KCBS in San Francisco, KRLD in Dallas, WGMP in Philadelphia, WTOP in Washington, WBZ in Boston, WWJ in Detroit, WCCO in Minneapolis, KPRC in Houston, KMOX in St. Louis, and WTIC in Hartford.

CBS Radio Network offers hourly News-on-the-Hour newscasts (available in three- and six-minute versions) and a one-minute newscast at 31 minutes past the hour. They are sent to member stations 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. In addition to the over-the-air product, reports and actualities are made available to affiliates via the network's Newsfeed service. Many of the aforementioned outlets make heavy use of the CBS network feed material throughout their broadcast day.

The network is home to the morning and evening editions of the CBS World News Roundup, U.S. broadcasting's oldest news series. The Roundup dates back to a special network broadcast on March 13, 1938, featuring live reports from Europe on Germany's annexation of Austria. Since 2010, Steve Kathan has anchored the morning show, which airs at 8am ET and 7am PT, while Jennifer Keiper hosts the evening edition at 7pm ET. Each Friday afternoon, the network also distributes the CBS News Weekend Roundup, an hour-long look at the top stories of the week, hosted by correspondent Allison Keyes.

### News reporters and anchors

CBS Radio Network has an impressive list of reporters around the world including Steve Futterman, Jim Krasula, Peter King, Steven Portnoy, Cami McCormick, Vicki Barker, Elaine Cobbe, Sabina Castelfranco and Robert Berger.

Mark Knoller was the network's long-time White House correspondent. Knoller often made additional appearances on CBS Television, especially if he is the day's pool reporter for the White House Press Corps. Knoller left CBS in 2020.

### Features and news programs

Three of CBS's television programs are currently simulcast on the CBS Radio Network; those are Face the Nation, 60 Minutes, and the first segment of the CBS Evening News. In addition, the Late Show with David Letterman Top Ten List was also broadcast by the network in a short-form-feature format until the show's conclusion with David Letterman's retirement in 2015.

Other public-affairs features include CBS Healthwatch with Dr. Emily Senay, Raising Our Kids (formerly suffixed with in the 90s during that decade) with former WCBS morning anchor Pat Carroll, What's in the News, "Eye on Washington," a daily look at goings on in the nation's capital and Dave Ross' daily commentary segment. Scott Pelley, the anchor of the CBS Evening News, also does a daily "Notebook" essay on the radio network.

During the overnight hours, the CBS News Network carries a simulcast of CBS News Radio's top-of-the-hour reports.

### Sports programs

Historically, the sports coverage now produced by Westwood One was branded as CBS Radio Sports and, like the news features, associated with the CBS Radio Network; however, after CBS began managing Westwood One in the mid-1990s, the sports broadcasts would come under the Westwood One banner (with both identities used in the late 1990s).

Currently CBS Radio Sports programming includes radio coverage of the National Football League (including Monday Night Football with Kevin Harlan and Boomer Esiason), Notre Dame football, NCAA football and basketball, the National Hockey League, the Triple Crown of Thoroughbred horse racing, and the Olympic Games.

## Music and the Spoken Word

While the network's World News Roundup is the longest-running news show on radio or TV in the U.S., the title of longest-running network radio show of any kind goes to another CBS Radio program—Music and the Spoken Word, a half-hour of music and inspirational thought featuring the Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square. It began on July 15, 1929 and currently airs each Sunday morning at 11:30 Eastern Time. (The longest running radio show of any kind is the Grand Ole Opry, broadcast on WSM in Nashville, Tennessee since November 28, 1925.)