CBS Radio Network

Infobox Network
network_name = CBS Radio Network
network_
country = United States
network_type = Radio network
available = National, through regional affiliates
owner = CBS Corporation/CBS Radio
launch_date = 1927
website = [http://cbsradio.com cbsradio.com]

The CBS Radio Network provides news, sports and other programming to more than 1,000 radio stations throughout the United States. The network is owned by the CBS Corporation, and operated by CBS Corporation's CBS Radio Inc. unit (formerly the Infinity Broadcasting Corporation).

The CBS Radio Network is one of the programming services distributed by Westwood One (formerly managed by CBS), which produces and distributes national news, sports, talk, music and special event programs, in addition to local news, sports, weather, video news and other information to radio and television stations as well as traffic reporting services.

Background

The network is the oldest unit of the CBS Corporation and traces its roots to CBS's predecessor, United Independent Broadcasters (founded in 1927 with 47 affiliates). The next year, Columbia Records invested in the radio network, which was named the Columbia Phonographic Broadcasting System. Eventually, Columbia 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 back Columbia Records.) For more about the network's history, see CBS.

Programming

Today, the CBS Radio Network is best known for its news and public affairs programming to 1,500 affiliates, as well as owned-and-operated flagship station WCBS in New York, KNX in Los Angeles, KCBS in San Francisco, WBBM in Chicago, WTOP-FM in Washington, DC, KMOX in St. Louis, and WCCO in Minneapolis.

Its offerings include the top-of-the-hour newscasts and the bottom-of-the-hour news updates. In addition to the over-the-air product, reports and actualities are made available to affiliates on its Newsfeeds, among the best-known products of the CBS Radio newsroom. Newsfeeds are subscribed heavily to by WCBS, KYW and other top outlets.

Among its on-air programs are the "CBS News-on-the-Hour", the morning "Osgood File" features with Charles Osgood, "Harry Smith Reporting", and Dave Ross' daily commentary segment. Katie Couric, the anchor of the "CBS Evening News," also does a daily "Notebook" essay on the radio network.

The network is home to the morning and evening editions of the "CBS World News Roundup", broadcasting's oldest news series. Nick Young anchors the morning show, while Bill Whitney hosts the evening edition. The daily "Roundup" dates back to a special on March 13, 1938, covering Germany's annexation of Austria. Each Friday, the network also produces the "CBS News Weekend Roundup," a look at the top stories of the week, hosted by Dan Raviv.

CBS Radio has an impressive list of reporters around the world including Peter Maer, Barry Bagnato, Mark Knoller, Bob Fuss, Cami McCormick, Lara Logan and Kimberly Dozier. Logan and Dozier also report for CBS Television, and many TV correspondents also appear on CBS Radio newscasts.

CBS Radio reporters also contribute to Westwood One's hour-long broadcast "America In the Morning," hosted by Jim Bohannon.

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 is also broadcast by the network in a short-form-feature format.

Other public-affairs features include "CBS Healthwatch" with Dr. Emily Senay, "Raising Our Kids" (formerly suffixed with "in the 90s" during that decade) with WCBS-AM morning anchor Pat Carroll, and "What's in the News".

CBS Radio Sports programming is produced by (and usually branded as) Westwood One, and includes radio coverage of the National Football League (including "Monday Night Football" with Marv Albert 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 Mormon Tabernacle Choir. 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 since November 28, 1925.)