Westwood One News
Westwood One News is a radio news network launched on January 1, 2015 and operated by Westwood One through its parent company Cumulus Media. In conjunction with CNN[1] it provides radio stations with hourly newscasts delivered by Westwood One anchors as well as voiced reports that can be individually used by member stations.
 | |
| Type | Radio network |
|---|---|
| Branding | Westwood One News |
| Country | |
First air date | January 1, 2015 |
| Availability | Radio stations |
| Founded | July 30, 2014 |
| Owner | Westwood One |
| Parent | Cumulus Media |
| Established | January 1, 2015 |
Launch date | January 1, 2015 |
| Dissolved | August 30, 2020 |
| Affiliation(s) | CNN |
Official website | Official |
Unlike most radio networks, the programming is unbranded, and although the news anchors are identified, it is delivered as a "white-label" service with no mention of either Westwood One or CNN, and may be carried under the station's local branding (for example, Nash FM-branded country music stations may run the content under the title "Nash News").[2]
About
Months after Cumulus acquired Westwood One in 2013, merging it with the former Cumulus Media Networks, the radio network acquired exclusive content from CNN. The news division was created months before Cumulus' deal with ABC News Radio was set to expire at the end of 2014. Until then, most Cumulus radio stations (including the former ABC-owned heritage stations carried over from the Citadel Broadcasting acquisition) used ABC News as their national news source. Cumulus also replaced the former NBC News Radio service previously distributed by the original Westwood One network, which was acquired under the "Dial Global" name in 2012. NBC News Radio had replaced Westwood One's CNN Radio service several years earlier. Westwood One also distributed CBS News Radio until December 2017.
Most of the first affiliates were Cumulus Media-owned stations, however as of February 2019 the network had expanded to over 900 affiliates.[3]
On July 9, 2020, citing "extraordinary circumstances in the current marketplace" and a need to prioritize the company's resources, Westwood One announced that the service would be discontinued on August 30.[4]
References
- Cumulus/WestwoodOne To Establish CNN Powered News Service - Radio Insight (accessed June 1, 2015)
- Cumulus buys CNN news content for radio - New York Post (accessed June 1, 2015)
- "Westwood One News Snags 45 Cox Stations" February 20, 2019 (radioink.com)
- "Westwood One News to cease operations". Radio Insight. July 9, 2020. Retrieved July 9, 2020.