CBS Broadcasting Inc.

CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major American mass-media company that operates the CBS national television network. It is the flagship television division of Paramount Skydance Corporation, formed in 2025 after Skydance Media acquired CBS’s former parent, Paramount Global. CBS was incorporated in 1927 as United Independent Broadcasters, Inc. and renamed Columbia Broadcasting System, Inc. the following year. In 1974, it adopted the name CBS Inc.

In 1995, CBS Inc. was bought by the Westinghouse Electric Corporation, which changed its name in 1997 to CBS Corporation. It has undergone multiple corporate restructurings in the 21st century, including its 2000 merger with Viacom, its separation into a stand-alone CBS Corporation in 2006, and its re-merger with Viacom in 2019 to form ViacomCBS. The company changed its name to Paramount Global in 2022, before being acquired by Skydance Media in 2025. CBS Broadcasting Inc. is headquartered in New York City.

Founding and early growth

The history of the Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) began in 1927 when talent agent Arthur Judson, unable to obtain work for any of his clients on the radio programs carried by the National Broadcasting Company (NBC), established his own network, United Independent Broadcasters. Judson’s network subsequently merged with the Columbia Phonograph and Records Co. and changed its name to the Columbia Phonograph Broadcasting Company. Plagued with mounting financial losses, the network was purchased for a modest $400,000 by William S. Paley, whose father owned the company that made La Palina cigars, one of the network’s principal advertisers. On January 18, 1929, the newly christened Columbia Broadcasting System signed on the air.

Under the direction of the enterprising Paley as the network’s longtime chairman, CBS made media history beginning in the late 1920s. Realizing that the key to radio success was large audiences that would attract advertisers, Paley offered programming free to affiliated stations in return for having a certain part of their schedules devoted to sponsored network shows. From 22 stations in 1928, the network grew to 114 stations in a decade. By 1932 it was posting an annual profit of $3 million.

Although the most popular radio stars and programs of the 1930s and ’40s were heard over the rival National Broadcasting Company (NBC) network, CBS nonetheless maintained a huge audience, thanks largely to the dynamic leadership of Paley’s second in command, Frank Stanton, who served as president of CBS from 1946 to 1971. The network also built up a strong and influential news division under the guidance of Edward R. Murrow and his successors.

Though it lagged behind the RCA Corporation-owned NBC technologically, CBS took a major step forward in the late 1940s with the development of long-playing records by its Columbia Records division. In 1938, CBS acquired the American Recording Corporation, which later became Columbia Records. Peter Goldmark of CBS laboratories invented high-fidelity long-playing records, and the Columbia record label introduced them to the public in 1948.

The presence of stars such as Phil Harris, Fred Allen, Bing Crosby, and Kate Smith on CBS swelled the network’s listenership. With the emergence of television during the 1940s, the appearance of performers became as important as their voices, and in 1948 Paley staged a talent raid of rival NBC, signing up stars such as Freeman Gosden and Charles Correll (better known as Amos ’n’ Andy), Edgar Bergen, George Burns and Gracie Allen, and Jack Benny, who proved as popular on television as they had been on radio. As a result, CBS was able to make a smooth transition into the new medium, in which it consistently outrated its competition through the 1950s and ’60s.

Television takes center stage

During this period CBS Television enjoyed a reputation as the “Tiffany Network,” exhibiting high quality and sophistication in its dramatic programs (Studio One [1948–58]; Playhouse 90 [1956–61]) and variety series (notably The Ed Sullivan Show). Even so, the network earned some of its highest ratings with such rustic situation comedies as The Andy Griffith Show (1960–68), The Beverly Hillbillies (1962–71), and Gomer Pyle, USMC (1964–69).

By 1970, CBS was perceived as attracting an older and more rural audience, which some sponsors found less desirable. The network responded by ushering in a new era of progressive, cutting-edge entertainment, exemplified by such groundbreaking sitcoms as All in the Family (1971–79) and M*A*S*H (1972–83). The network’s news division also made great strides during the 1970s; Walter Cronkite, adjudged by many observers as “the most trusted man in America,” anchored CBS’s evening newscast, while the weekly TV newsmagazine 60 Minutes (1968– ) dominated the Sunday-night ratings.

Developments in the late 20th and early 21st centuries

Diversification and refocus (1960s–1980s)

In the 1960s and ’70s, CBS diversified into the production of books, magazines, musical instruments, and toys, but from 1985 to 1988 the company divested itself of all these other operations and also sold its highly successful record unit, which was bought by the Sony Corporation. Thenceforth, under the direction of Lawrence Tisch, who had been brought in in 1986 to prevent a hostile takeover by cable-TV mogul Ted Turner, CBS concentrated on the core of its operations—television and radio broadcasting.

Programming and ratings challenges (1990s)

Although the new administration’s budgetary cutbacks caused the network to lose some of its standing in the industry, CBS scored a number of significant successes in the years that followed, notably the acquisition of talk-show host David Letterman, who hosted The Late Show from 1993 to 2015, and the debut of the pioneering reality television series Survivor (2000– ).

Corporate ownership changes (1995–1997)

Long the only self-owned broadcasting network in the United States, CBS relinquished its independence in 1995 when, amid falling television ratings and a decline in the number and quality of affiliate stations, it was sold to the Westinghouse Electric Corporation for $5.4 billion. Westinghouse, once one of the world’s largest makers of electrical equipment, transformed into a media company through the purchase of CBS and other companies. To mark the shift, Westinghouse assumed the CBS Corporation name in 1997.

Franchises and divestitures in the 2000s

In the early 21st century, CBS’s most valuable television property was its CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (2000–15) franchise, including the spin-offs CSI: Miami (2002–12); CSI: New York (2004–13); and CSI: Cyber (2015–16), along with the related shows Cold Case (2003–10) and Without a Trace (2002–09).

Radio, sports, and CW joint venture

CBS Radio operated scores of radio stations throughout the top markets in the United States and broadcast play-by-play coverage of many of the country’s leading professional sports franchises. In 2017, CBS Radio was acquired by Entercom Communications, which was renamed Audacy Inc. in 2021 and is one of the largest radio station operators in the U.S. CBS Sports Network is focused primarily on collegiate athletics, broadcasting a wide range of college sports alongside select professional leagues such as the UEFA Champions League and the WNBA, in addition to studio and analysis programming.

The CW television network, which debuted in 2006 as a joint venture of CBS Corporation and Warner Bros. Entertainment, became majority controlled (75%) by Nexstar Media Group (NXST) in 2022. Paramount Global (formerly ViacomCBS) and Warner Bros. Discovery each retained a 12.5% minority stake. As of July 2025, when Skydance acquired Paramount Global, the ownership structure remained unchanged.

Skydance acquisition and controversies

In October 2024, presidential candidate Donald Trump sued CBS’s 60 Minutes, alleging that a televised interview with Democratic rival Kamala Harris had been deceptively edited to present her more favorably than a similar appearance on Face the Nation. CBS denied the claim, countering that its edits were made for clarity and brevity and didn’t misrepresent Harris’s remarks. The company released a full transcript and described the lawsuit as meritless. Trump went on to defeat Harris in the November general election, securing a second nonconsecutive term.

In July 2025, Paramount agreed to a $16 million settlement with President Trump, paving the way for a merger with Skydance Media. Critics, including former CBS News executives who resigned in protest, argued that the payout was timed to improve Paramount’s chances of securing federal approval. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) approved the deal soon after, by a 2–1 vote. The merger created a new entity known as Paramount Skydance Corporation (PSKY), with CBS as its flagship broadcast network. CBS President and Chief Executive Officer George Cheeks leads the division.

As part of the FCC’s approval conditions, CBS News agreed to eliminate internal diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, appoint an ombudsman to handle complaints, and adopt editorial practices reflecting a broader range of ideological perspectives. The conditions prompted objections from journalism watchdogs and press advocacy groups, who cited concerns about political interference in editorial policy.

Acquisition of The Free Press and leadership change at CBS News

In October 2025, Paramount Skydance acquired The Free Press, a digital news and commentary website founded by journalist Bari Weiss, for about $150 million in cash and stock. As part of the transaction, Weiss was named editor-in-chief of CBS News, a newly created position reporting directly to Paramount Skydance CEO David Ellison. The Free Press operates as a separate outlet under the company’s ownership.

The appointment marked a significant change in CBS News’s editorial leadership, as Weiss succeeded long-time internal leadership structures. She works alongside division president Tom Cibrowski, who reports to Cheeks. Industry observers noted that Weiss’s background in digital and opinion journalism contrasted with CBS’s traditional broadcast focus.