Veteran broadcast news executive Harvey Nagler will receive a Lifetime Leadership Award for his work at CBS Radio News, with the award bestowed upon Nagler just a few weeks after CBS owner Paramount closed up shop on its radio news division for good.
The honor, presented by Streamline Publishing, celebrates Nagler’s contributions to radio news, including his leadership roles at CBS News Radio, WCBS (880 AM) in New York, United Stations Radio Networks and ABC Radio Networks.
Nagler began his broadcasting career in 1966 as a reporter at WCTC (1450 AM) in New Brunswick, New Jersey. Two years later, he joined ABC Radio Networks, where he worked in a variety of news positions through 1979 before moving to RKO Radio Networks as Director of News Operations.
When RKO evolved into United Stations Radio Networks, Nagler was promoted to Vice President of News and Sports, overseeing a national operation that served roughly 500 affiliate stations across the country.
His next major role came in 1987, when he joined WCBS as Director of News and Programming. During his decade leading the all-news station, WCBS achieved record ratings and earned numerous industry honors. Nagler is widely credited with developing programming features including “traffic and weather together on the eights” and “guaranteed weather,” concepts that were later adopted by radio stations nationwide.
In 1998, Nagler was named Vice President of Radio at CBS News, placing him in charge of one of the country’s most prominent radio news operations. During his 18-year tenure, CBS News Radio earned seven consecutive Edward R. Murrow Awards for Overall Excellence from the Radio Television Digital News Association. He retired from the company in January 2017.
Beyond his executive responsibilities, Nagler played a prominent role in advancing broadcast journalism across the industry. He served on the board of the Radio Television Digital News Association and received several of the organization’s highest honors, including the John F. Hogan Distinguished Service Award and the Barney Oldfield Award for contributions to the RTDNA Foundation. In 2010, he was also presented with the Radio Television Digital News Foundation’s First Amendment Service Award.
“Harvey Nagler is a consummate professional whose career accomplishments are reflected in the numerous and prestigious awards he and his team amassed in the 18 years he spent at the helm of CBS News Radio,” Deborah Parenti, Streamline’s publisher, said in a statement on Monday. “But more than that, it has been his caring nature and career nurturing of the many who have had the enormous fortune to work with and under his direction.”
Nagler will be honored with the award at an upcoming event in New York City later this year. Streamline Publishing is the parent company of Radio Ink and the Radio & Television Business Report; the author of this story was a contributor to both outlets from November 22 to February 2023.
