CBS World News Roundup
Encyclopedia
The CBS World News Roundup is a radio newscast that airs weekday mornings and evenings on the CBS Radio Network
.
It first went on-air on March 13, 1938 at 8 p.m. Eastern time as a one-time special in response to growing tensions in Europe
-- specifically the Anschluss
, during which Adolf Hitler
annexed Austria
.
. The first show gave the world the voices of Edward R. Murrow
and William L. Shirer
. In fact, it was the first time Murrow had ever delivered a news report. During the early years of the war, Murrow's reports from London
and Shirer's reports from Berlin
were essential listening to anyone trying to keep informed on events unfolding in Europe.
The program was a 35-minute special report from multiple locations around the world as the pre-war crisis mounts. It was the first time that on-the-scene European field correspondents were linked with a central anchor in New York for a national broadcast.
Most broadcast references credit either CBS President William S. Paley
or News Director Paul White
as coming up with the idea for the show, as a way to trump Max Jordan
's NBC
coverage of the Anschluss. The previous day, Shirer had fled from Vienna to London at the request of Murrow (the CBS European chief) to give the first uncensored eyewitness account of Germany's takeover of Austria.
It was White who relayed the order to Murrow and Shirer for the first Roundup. The two, Murrow in Vienna and Shirer in London, then had the responsibility of linking up reporters and circuits that same day...a Sunday, when many of the key people would be mostly unreachable.
The format was so successful that it was repeated the following evening, and then revived later that year during the Sudetenland crisis. Eventually, it evolved into a daily show.
As World War II
raged in Europe, the Roundup format spawned a weekend edition, The World Today. It was just before one 2:30 p.m. Eastern broadcast, on December 7, 1941, that White and World Today anchor John Charles Daly
received word in New York that the Japanese had attacked Pearl Harbor
. Daly's report at the top of the show, among the first on any radio station or network, is the one most often used in audio retrospectives. (For more on that, see John Charles Daly
.)
handles the distribution.
The morning edition of the World News Roundup is anchored by Steve Kathan, and produced by Paul Farry. The full show runs for 10 minutes, although many stations - including CBS Radio's own all-news stations - take only the first eight minutes. There is also a local cut-away at four minutes past the hour for the early edition (like the network's other top of the hour newscasts) and five minutes past the hour for the late edition. The late edition is hosted by Bill Whitney
, and produced by Greg Armstrong. The morning program was hosted for many years by Christopher Glenn
, who died in 2006 and was succeeded by Nick Young and later Steve Kathan. Despite the name of the broadcast, it no longer emphasizes world news and often is devoted to the same national, political and lifestyle stories as the shorter top of the hour news broadcasts.
The longest tenure of one anchor with the Roundup was that of Dallas Townsend
, who hosted the morning broadcast for 25 years. Townsend was followed by Reid Collins and then Bill Lynch before Glenn took over. Douglas Edwards
also had a long tenure anchoring the evening show in the 1970s and 80s, when it was The World Tonight. Glenn took over as nighttime anchor after Edwards retired.
devoted a segment of his show to the Roundup in which he called anchor Steve Kathan to explain while driving his son Harry to Kindergarten they listen to the program and Letterman's son was dismayed when the signature time check and cutaway cue “Time on the Roundup, eight past the hour” was absent. Kathan explained this happened sometimes due to timing issues but promised it would henceforth always be included. When Kathan did the cue the following morning he included a shout-out to Letterman and his son.
, designed for an hour-long time slot (40 minutes plus slots for commercials and affiliate cut-ins), is produced each Friday and airs on a number of CBS Radio affiliates on Saturdays and Sundays. It includes interviews with CBS News correspondents and other newsmakers. The network's then-news director, Mike Freedman, was the creator and first executive producer of the show.
Bill Lynch, former anchor of the morning Roundup, was the first host of the weekend show. It is now anchored by CBS News National Correspondent Dan Raviv
in Washington. Correspondent Howard Arenstein
, the Washington radio bureau chief, is the current executive producer. He is also part of the cast as a frequent contributor and guest host.
CBS Radio Network
The CBS Radio Network provides news, sports and other programming to more than 1,000 radio stations throughout the United States. The network is owned by CBS Corporation, and operated by CBS Radio ....
.
It first went on-air on March 13, 1938 at 8 p.m. Eastern time as a one-time special in response to growing tensions in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
-- specifically the Anschluss
Anschluss
The Anschluss , also known as the ', was the occupation and annexation of Austria into Nazi Germany in 1938....
, during which Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
annexed Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
.
The early years
When the show first went on the air it was hosted by veteran radio personality Robert TroutRobert Trout
Robert "Bob" Trout was an American broadcast news reporter, best known for his radio work before and during World War II...
. The first show gave the world the voices of Edward R. Murrow
Edward R. Murrow
Edward Roscoe Murrow, KBE was an American broadcast journalist. He first came to prominence with a series of radio news broadcasts during World War II, which were followed by millions of listeners in the United States and Canada.Fellow journalists Eric Sevareid, Ed Bliss, and Alexander Kendrick...
and William L. Shirer
William L. Shirer
William Lawrence Shirer was an American journalist, war correspondent, and historian, who wrote The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich, a history of Nazi Germany read and cited in scholarly works for more than 50 years...
. In fact, it was the first time Murrow had ever delivered a news report. During the early years of the war, Murrow's reports from London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and Shirer's reports from Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
were essential listening to anyone trying to keep informed on events unfolding in Europe.
The program was a 35-minute special report from multiple locations around the world as the pre-war crisis mounts. It was the first time that on-the-scene European field correspondents were linked with a central anchor in New York for a national broadcast.
Most broadcast references credit either CBS President William S. Paley
William S. Paley
William S. Paley was the chief executive who built Columbia Broadcasting System from a small radio network into one of the foremost radio and television network operations in the United States.-Early life:...
or News Director Paul White
Paul White (journalist)
Paul Welrose White from Pittsburg, Kansas worked as director of news at CBS beginning in 1930. He was CBS' first news director. White worked as a newspaper journalist prior to beginning his radio broadcasting career with CBS...
as coming up with the idea for the show, as a way to trump Max Jordan
Max Jordan
Max Jordan was a pioneering radio journalist for the NBC network in Europe in the 1930s. He later became a Benedictine monk.He was born around 1895 in Europe. He got a PhD in Religious Philosophy...
's NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
coverage of the Anschluss. The previous day, Shirer had fled from Vienna to London at the request of Murrow (the CBS European chief) to give the first uncensored eyewitness account of Germany's takeover of Austria.
It was White who relayed the order to Murrow and Shirer for the first Roundup. The two, Murrow in Vienna and Shirer in London, then had the responsibility of linking up reporters and circuits that same day...a Sunday, when many of the key people would be mostly unreachable.
The format was so successful that it was repeated the following evening, and then revived later that year during the Sudetenland crisis. Eventually, it evolved into a daily show.
As World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
raged in Europe, the Roundup format spawned a weekend edition, The World Today. It was just before one 2:30 p.m. Eastern broadcast, on December 7, 1941, that White and World Today anchor John Charles Daly
John Charles Daly
John Charles Patrick Croghan Daly John Charles Patrick Croghan Daly John Charles Patrick Croghan Daly (generally known as John Charles Daly or simply John Daly (February 20, 1914 – February 24, 1991) was an American journalist, game show host and radio personality, probably best known for hosting...
received word in New York that the Japanese had attacked Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor, known to Hawaiians as Puuloa, is a lagoon harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. Much of the harbor and surrounding lands is a United States Navy deep-water naval base. It is also the headquarters of the U.S. Pacific Fleet...
. Daly's report at the top of the show, among the first on any radio station or network, is the one most often used in audio retrospectives. (For more on that, see John Charles Daly
John Charles Daly
John Charles Patrick Croghan Daly John Charles Patrick Croghan Daly John Charles Patrick Croghan Daly (generally known as John Charles Daly or simply John Daly (February 20, 1914 – February 24, 1991) was an American journalist, game show host and radio personality, probably best known for hosting...
.)
The show today
The CBS World News Roundup remains an active part of the CBS Radio Network lineup, making it America's longest running network newscast on radio or TV. The 10-minute newscast airs every morning on CBS Radio affiliates nationwide at 8 a.m. Eastern and 7 a.m. Pacific. A late edition airs at 7 p.m. Eastern time and runs for 9 minutes. Westwood OneWestwood One
Westwood One was an American radio network and was based in New York City. At one time, it was managed by CBS Radio, the radio arm of CBS Corporation, and Viacom and was later purchased by the private equity firm The Gores Group...
handles the distribution.
The morning edition of the World News Roundup is anchored by Steve Kathan, and produced by Paul Farry. The full show runs for 10 minutes, although many stations - including CBS Radio's own all-news stations - take only the first eight minutes. There is also a local cut-away at four minutes past the hour for the early edition (like the network's other top of the hour newscasts) and five minutes past the hour for the late edition. The late edition is hosted by Bill Whitney
Bill Whitney
Willard Whitney is an American broadcast journalist for CBS News. He is best known as an anchor and correspondent for the CBS Radio Network, where he hosts the evening edition of the World News Roundup.- Before CBS News :...
, and produced by Greg Armstrong. The morning program was hosted for many years by Christopher Glenn
Christopher Glenn
Joseph Christopher Glenn was an American radio and television news journalist who worked in broadcasting for over 45 years and spent the final 35 years of his career at CBS, retiring in 2006 at the age of 68.-Early life:...
, who died in 2006 and was succeeded by Nick Young and later Steve Kathan. Despite the name of the broadcast, it no longer emphasizes world news and often is devoted to the same national, political and lifestyle stories as the shorter top of the hour news broadcasts.
The longest tenure of one anchor with the Roundup was that of Dallas Townsend
Dallas Townsend
Dallas S. Townsend, Jr. was an American broadcast journalist who worked for CBS Radio and television for over 40 years.- Early career :...
, who hosted the morning broadcast for 25 years. Townsend was followed by Reid Collins and then Bill Lynch before Glenn took over. Douglas Edwards
Douglas Edwards
Douglas Edwards was America's first network news television anchor, anchoring CBS's first nightly news broadcast from 1948–1962, which was later to be titled CBS Evening News.-Early life and career:...
also had a long tenure anchoring the evening show in the 1970s and 80s, when it was The World Tonight. Glenn took over as nighttime anchor after Edwards retired.
David Letterman and the Roundup
June 9, 2010 David LettermanDavid Letterman
David Michael Letterman is an American television host and comedian. He hosts the late night television talk show, Late Show with David Letterman, broadcast on CBS. Letterman has been a fixture on late night television since the 1982 debut of Late Night with David Letterman on NBC...
devoted a segment of his show to the Roundup in which he called anchor Steve Kathan to explain while driving his son Harry to Kindergarten they listen to the program and Letterman's son was dismayed when the signature time check and cutaway cue “Time on the Roundup, eight past the hour” was absent. Kathan explained this happened sometimes due to timing issues but promised it would henceforth always be included. When Kathan did the cue the following morning he included a shout-out to Letterman and his son.
The Weekend Roundup
In 2000, CBS Radio developed a weekly show based on the original Roundup format. The CBS News Weekend RoundupCBS News Weekend Roundup
The CBS News Weekend Roundup is a weekly news show that airs on the CBS Radio Network, designed for a one-hour time slot, though it has an actual length without commercials of about forty minutes...
, designed for an hour-long time slot (40 minutes plus slots for commercials and affiliate cut-ins), is produced each Friday and airs on a number of CBS Radio affiliates on Saturdays and Sundays. It includes interviews with CBS News correspondents and other newsmakers. The network's then-news director, Mike Freedman, was the creator and first executive producer of the show.
Bill Lynch, former anchor of the morning Roundup, was the first host of the weekend show. It is now anchored by CBS News National Correspondent Dan Raviv
Dan Raviv
Dan Raviv is an American journalist. He is a national correspondent for CBS News, heard regularly on the CBS Radio Network. He has also done TV reports from Washington, D.C...
in Washington. Correspondent Howard Arenstein
Howard Arenstein
Howard Arenstein is an award-winning news correspondent for CBS Radio and the radio bureau manager for CBS News in Washington, D.C.-Early life and education:...
, the Washington radio bureau chief, is the current executive producer. He is also part of the cast as a frequent contributor and guest host.