Editing Mutual Broadcasting System (section)

==== Consolidation, streamlining and dissolution ====
Meanwhile, Westwood One began to be subject to larger [[mergers and acquisitions]]. Westwood One purchased competing syndicator [[Transtar Radio Networks|Unistar Radio Networks]] from [[CBS Radio|Infinity Broadcasting]] in 1994; as part of the deal, Infinity purchased 25&nbsp;percent of Westwood One, becoming its largest shareholder and effectively taking it over.<ref>{{Cite news |date=February 5, 1994 |title=Company News; Westwood One Completes Purchase of Unistar Radio |page=39-Section 1 |work=The New York Times |agency=Bloomberg News |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1994/02/05/business/company-news-westwood-one-completes-purchase-of-unistar-radio.html |access-date=February 11, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230210033719/https://www.nytimes.com/1994/02/05/business/company-news-westwood-one-completes-purchase-of-unistar-radio.html |archive-date=February 10, 2023}}</ref> Westinghouse, which recently bought out CBS and was renamed [[Westinghouse Electric Corporation|CBS Corporation]] shortly thereafter, then acquired Infinity in June 1996 for just shy of $5&nbsp;billion (equivalent to ${{Format price|{{Inflation|US|5000000000|1996}}|}} in {{Inflation/year|US}}).<ref>{{Unbulleted list citebundle|{{Cite news |date=June 21, 1996 |title=To Infinity and Beyond: Is a Radio Deal Too Big?; Westinghouse Would Own 32% of Top Markets |page=D1 |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1996/06/21/business/infinity-beyond-radio-deal-too-big-westinghouse-would-own-32-top-markets.html |access-date=February 11, 2023 |archive-date=December 6, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221206055446/http://www.nytimes.com/1996/06/21/business/infinity-beyond-radio-deal-too-big-westinghouse-would-own-32-top-markets.html |url-status=live }}|{{Cite news |last=Fabrikant |first=Geraldine |date=June 21, 1996 |title=Two Radio Giants to Merge, Forming Biggest Network |page=A1 |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1996/06/21/business/two-radio-giants-to-merge-forming-biggest-network.html |access-date=February 11, 2023 |archive-date=February 12, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230212012607/https://www.nytimes.com/1996/06/21/business/two-radio-giants-to-merge-forming-biggest-network.html |url-status=live }}|{{Cite news |date=December 27, 1996 |title=F.C.C. Approves Merger of Westinghouse and Infinity |page=D3 |work=The New York Times |agency=Associated Press |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1996/12/27/business/fcc-approves-merger-of-westinghouse-and-infinity.html |access-date=February 11, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230210033727/https://www.nytimes.com/1996/12/27/business/fcc-approves-merger-of-westinghouse-and-infinity.html |archive-date=February 10, 2023 }}|{{Cite news |date=January 1, 1997 |title=Company Briefs |page=63-Section 1 |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1997/01/01/business/company-briefs-987913.html |access-date=February 11, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230210033719/https://www.nytimes.com/1997/01/01/business/company-briefs-987913.html |archive-date=February 10, 2023 }}}}</ref> The direct descendants of the three original U.S. radio network companies had merged,{{r|Lucier-1998}} with Mutual little more than one of several brand names for programming under the aegis of Westwood One, itself under the control of a major conglomerate.{{r|R&R19990409p3}} Mutual and NBC Radio newscasters sat back to back in the Westwood One studio, the former main Mutual facility in [[Crystal City, Virginia]], which now also fed [[CBS News Radio|CBS Radio News]] from New York City and [[CNN Radio]] feeds—which Westwood One also distributed{{r|DailyN19990407p69}}—from Atlanta; despite newsroom signage still reading "Mutual Broadcasting System" as late as 1998, it was referred to internally as "the Westwood One newsroom".{{r|Lucier-1998}} The newsroom itself closed on August 31, 1998, with Mutual and NBC newscasts originating from the CBS Radio News facilities.<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Spangler |first=Matt |date=August 7, 1998 |title=WW1 Consolidates NBC/Mutual News |url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Archive-RandR/1990s/1998/RR-1998-08-07.pdf |magazine=Radio & Records |issue=1260 |pages=3, 12 |access-date=February 13, 2023 |via=World Radio History |archive-date=January 31, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230131021341/https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Archive-RandR/1990s/1998/RR-1998-08-07.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref>{{r|JohannessenWW1}}

{{Quote box
| quote = "In this world of media brand names, there's so much synergy that's involved, and
Mutual had to hang out there by itself. It was very hard to support it."
| author = Nick Kiernan
| source = Westwood One vice president of affiliate relations, on the 1999 retirement of the "Mutual News" name{{r|R&R19990409p3}}
| width = 275px
| salign = right
}}

In early 1999, Westwood One announced that it would retire the Mutual name and end newscast production, with CNN Radio, CBS or [[Fox News Radio]]{{r|R&R19990409p3}} offered as replacements to affiliates. The majority of NBC Radio's remaining services would also cease outside of [[morning drive]] hours.{{r|DailyN19990407p69}} In addition to producing NBC, CBS and Mutual newscasts and distributing CNN content, Westwood One also began distributing Fox News; as a result, the company was marketing five different newscast brands in what one company representative called "wasteful".{{r|R&R19990409p3}}  A former staffer for Mutual's news service described the end of the network: "Official time of Mutual Radio's death was Midnight 4/17/99. No tribute, no mention it was the last newscast&nbsp;... it just died."<ref name="Cox2015p178-179">{{harvp|Cox|2015|pp=178–179}}.</ref><ref name="DailyN19990407p69">{{Cite news |last=Hinckley |first=David |date=April 7, 1999 |title=Mutual's riding off into radio sunset |page=69 |work=New York Daily News |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/118758711/mutuals-riding-off-into-radio-sunset/ |access-date=February 16, 2023 |via=Newspapers.com |archive-date=February 17, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230217031224/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/118758711/mutuals-riding-off-into-radio-sunset/ |url-status=live }}<!-- While this article is useful for its 1999 reports and quotes, it is filled with errors about Mutual's history.--></ref><!-- The final on-air mention occurred that evening when Jim Bohannon signed off his show with "This is the Mutual Broadcasting System" for the last time. --> The closure of Mutual News resulted in 12 staffers being dismissed from CBS Radio News, which itself underwent a recent series of cutbacks involving on-air talent.{{r|R&R19990409p3}}

While the dropping of the Mutual name was attributed to [[Concentration of media ownership|mass consolidation]], in particular following passage of the [[Telecommunications Act of 1996|1996 Telecommunications Act]],{{r|DailyN19990407p69}} Dick Rosse, a Mutual Broadcasting System correspondent for 36 years until his retirement in 1998, wrote the following for an op-ed in ''[[Broadcasting & Cable]]'':{{r|RosseMBS}}{{Blockquote|text=The Mutual Broadcasting System died (this week) and, aside from the folks who worked there, you'd have to go a long way to find anyone who was saddened, or even cared. Certainly, word of Mutual's demise was not a subject of discussion among the suits over lunch at "[[21 Club|21]]" or [[Four Seasons Restaurant|the Four Seasons]]. Maybe out there, in the boonies (Mutual's natural habitat) some listener might sense that something had vanished from his radio universe. Old age killed Mutual. That, and increasing irrelevance in a world that associates "radio" with [[Rush Limbaugh|Rush]], [[Howard Stern|Howard]] and [[Laura Schlessinger|Doctor Laura]]. So when [[Jack Kevorkian]] (in the guise of CBS head [[Mel Karmazin]]) paid his call, Mutual didn't need much of a push.}}

The Crystal City facility was closed in March 2001, with Westwood One's primary operations transferred to the [[CBS Broadcast Center]] in New York City.<ref>{{cite web|last=Lee|first=Fee|url=http://www.frankmurphy.com/WAVA.html|title=WAVA 10 Year 'Death Anniversary' e-Reunion|year=2002|access-date=March 1, 2010|publisher=FrankMurphy.com|archive-date=August 1, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100801042016/http://www.frankmurphy.com/WAVA.html|url-status=live}} Personal testimonial of Westwood One employee.</ref>