CBS News and Stations

CBS News and Stations is a major division of Paramount Global responsible for the national CBS News division and a group of owned-and-operated television stations. Formed in December 2021, it consolidated the management of the CBS network's newsgathering operations with its portfolio of local broadcast stations. The division is headquartered at the CBS Broadcast Center in New York City and is led by President Wendy McMahon.

History

The division was created through the merger of the legacy CBS News division and the CBS Television Stations group, a restructuring announced by Paramount Global (then ViacomCBS) in late 2021. This reorganization aimed to create greater synergy between national and local news operations across the United States. The move followed similar consolidations by rivals like ABC News and NBC News and built upon the historical foundation of the CBS network, which launched its news division in the 1920s under figures like William S. Paley. Key milestones integrated into its lineage include the launch of the seminal program CBS Evening News with Walter Cronkite and the establishment of flagship stations such as WCBS-TV in New York City and KCBS-TV in Los Angeles.

Operations

The division operates from major broadcast facilities including the CBS Broadcast Center in New York City, the CBS Studio Center in Los Angeles, and the CBS News Washington bureau in the District of Columbia. Its operations are funded through advertising revenue from its newscasts and syndicated programming, as well as fees from CBS network affiliates. A core function is the coordination of newsgathering resources between the national desk and its owned stations, which often contribute footage and reporting for major stories covered by programs like CBS Mornings and 60 Minutes. The division also manages the CBS News Streaming Network, a free ad-supported streaming television (FAST) service.

Programming

Programming encompasses a wide range of national news broadcasts, syndicated shows, and local newscasts produced at its stations. Flagship national programs include the morning show CBS Mornings from Times Square, the CBS Evening News, and the long-running news magazine 60 Minutes, which has featured correspondents like Lesley Stahl and Scott Pelley. Other notable programs are the Sunday public affairs show Face the Nation and the overnight broadcast CBS News 24/7. Syndicated programming distributed to affiliates includes Inside Edition and Dr. Phil, while local stations produce extensive morning, noon, and evening newscasts under brands like CBS New York and CBS Los Angeles.

Notable personnel

The division has been home to many iconic figures in American journalism. Legendary anchors and correspondents include Edward R. Murrow, known for his World War II reports and See It Now; Walter Cronkite, longtime anchor of the CBS Evening News; and Mike Wallace, a founding correspondent of 60 Minutes. Contemporary on-air personalities include CBS Mornings co-anchor Gayle King, CBS Evening News anchor Norah O'Donnell, and 60 Minutes correspondent Bill Whitaker. Leadership has included presidents like Wendy McMahon and former CBS News presidents Susan Zirinsky and David Rhodes.

Affiliates and stations

The division owns and operates approximately 30 stations in major United States media markets, including all of the top three: WCBS-TV in New York City, KCBS-TV in Los Angeles, and WBBM-TV in Chicago. These stations are almost exclusively CBS network affiliates, though the group also includes a few stations affiliated with The CW (such as KBCW in San Francisco) and MyNetworkTV. Notable owned stations include KTVT in Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, WUPA in Atlanta, and WBZ-TV in Boston. The stations collectively reach nearly 40% of American television households and form the core distribution network for CBS programming.