WBBM Newsradio switches to ABC News radio
Move takes place after CBS News shutters Friday
It’s going to be off-putting to hear ABC News Radio broadcasts instead of the familiar ding and five-note chime Chicago listeners were used to hearing from CBS News for decades at the top of the hour on WBBM Newsradio.
Audacy-owned WBBM-AM and WCFS-FM quietly began airing ABC News Radio newscasts at the top of the hour Thursday, a day before WBBM’s longtime news radio partner CBS News, was closing its operations after 99 years in a cost-cutting move by owner Paramount, announced in March. Audacy wanted to make the moves early to ensure a smooth transition.
The dawn of a new era at WBBM…your new home for ABC News Radio. pic.twitter.com/s5q9XIQSoJ
— Rob Hart (@RobHartWBBM) May 21, 2026
ABC News had affiliations with both WLS-AM and WGN-AM for years; ABC owner The Walt Disney Co. sold its radio division to Citadel Communications in 2007, and was swallowed up by Cumulus seven years later. In 2015, Cumulus dropped ABC for CNN through the new Westwood One News network, but reaffilaited with ABC News Radio in 2020 after folding its news network.
Launched on January 1, 1968 as part of its American and Entertainment Network, ABC News Radio featured Paul Harvey’s radio shows, until his death in February 2009.
WBBM joins other Audacy stations using ABC News Radio content, including WINS New York and KYW-AM Philadelphia, with new Audacy stations on board including KNX Los Angeles, WCCO-AM Minneapolis, and KCBS-AM San Francisco, among others. Other ABC News affiliates include several owned by iHeartMedia, including KRTH Houston.
Other former CBS News Radio affiliates have signed with Fox News Radio, Salem, and NBC News Radio as replacements. With the end of CBS News Radio, audio versions of their TV news programming will also cease, including Face The Nation (which WBBM did carry on Sunday mornings) and 60 Minutes, but WBBM will add the audio version of ABC News’ This Week starting Sunday.
The move comes as CBS News has undergone an ideological shift since Skydance took over from CBS owner Paramount last year, shifting toward more conservative-leaning content, naming Free Press editor Bari Weiss as editor, despite no experience in running a network news operation. Since then, the flagship CBS Evening News with new anchor Tony Duopki (sp) has fallen deeper in third place, far behind ABC and NBC.
The end of CBS News Radio severs the final tie WBBM had with the network after it and other CBS Radio stations were sold to Entercom in 2017 before rebranding as Audacy in 2020. The television equivalent and former sister station of WBBM is still owned by CBS (now branded as CBS Chicago) and remains an affiliate of the network.
Here is the final CBS News Radio report, as aired between 10 p.m. and 10:33 p.m. Central Time on May 22, 2026.
This is the final CBS News Radio broadcast, aired between 11 p.m. (the top of the hour is first) and 11:30 p.m. (the final special report).
— Matthew Keys (@MatthewKeysLive) May 23, 2026
After 99 years on the air, CBS Radio News has ended.
(Captured by @TheDeskDotNet) pic.twitter.com/JLKcGY2DC0