CBS News to cut 6% of workforce in restructuring push
21 Mar 2026

CBS News, the American media giant, has announced plans to lay off about 6% of its workforce.

The decision comes as part of a broader restructuring strategy aimed at keeping the company competitive in the evolving media landscape.

An internal memo from CBS News Editor-in-Chief Bari Weiss and President Tom Cibrowski confirmed that affected employees would be informed by end of day.

Layoffs could affect up to 60 employees
Restructuring details

The internal memo emphasized need to adapt to changing audience dynamics, stating, "New audiences are burgeoning in new places, and we are pressing forward with ambitious plans to grow and invest so that we can be there for them."

It further explained that some parts of the newsroom would have to shrink in order to make room for new initiatives.

The layoffs could affect as many as 60 employees, though it remains unclear which departments or units will be affected.

Weiss has been restructuring CBS since October takeover
Digital shift

Weiss has been trying to boost CBS's ratings to match rivals ABC and NBC by introducing a "streaming mentality" at the news network.

Since taking over in October last year, she has made several changes, including replacing the nightly news anchor.

In January, she announced plans to add 19 new contributors and restructure operations for digital news coverage.

Notably, Anderson Cooper left CBS News after Weiss's takeover.

Controversy over '60 Minutes' segment postponement
Programming controversies

Weiss's decision to postpone a '60 Minutes' segment on deporting immigrants to a foreign prison sparked controversy, as promos for the episode had already been aired. The channel eventually aired the edited version of the episode.

CBS News is also shutting down its radio news service, which has been around for nearly a century. The cut is part of planned layoffs and comes amid changing programming strategies at radio stations and tough economic conditions.

CBS News Radio will end on May 22
Radio service

CBS News Radio began broadcasting in September 1927, before the entire network was even launched.

By 2026, it was providing content to about 700 stations across the US and was best known for its top-of-the-hour news updates.

The service will end on May 22 as part of CBS News's restructuring strategy.

"While this was a necessary decision, it was not an easy one," Weiss and Cibrowski said in their memo.