Westwood One, PodcastOne Founder Norm Pattiz Dies

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LOS ANGELES — He was handling sales for unaffiliated broadcast TV station KCOP-13 before launching an operation designed to help syndicate a 1976 Motown-themed series. That operation: Westwood One, today owned by Cumulus Media.


It was the brainchild of Norm Pattiz, who would go on to enjoy a lengthy career in radio and in podcasting, which included the short-lived but widely remembered launch of “Pirate Radio” in 1989 in Southern California.

Pattiz died on December 4 at the age of 79, AllAccess.com reports.

As the head of Westwood One, Pattiz would launch a radio syndication operation that included The Dr. Demento Show, and Off The Record with Mary Turner, Pattiz’s wife. As satellite distribution grew for AM and FM radio, so did Westwood One. By 1984, the company went public. It even went so far as to purchase Mutual Broadcasting, home of the late Larry King and Jim Bohannon. Westwood One was also the owner for a brief period of Radio & Records, the now-defunct industry publication.

Pattiz exited the company he founded in 2010. He then launched a successor dubbed Courtside Entertainment Group. That organization produced Loveline with Dr. Drew, born out of the 10pm program on KROQ that developed in the early 1990s.

In 2013, Pattiz shifted to podcasting, with the creation of PodcastOne; it was sold to LiveXLive in 2020, but not before Pattiz faced sexual misconduct allegations from former employee Heather McDonald. This was in October 2016. He addressed the matter at the time to TheWrap.com, noting he had apologized directly to McDonald. However, the incident led to student protests within the University of California system, where Pattiz held a seat on the Board of Regents. He resigned from that role on February 16, 2018.

Then, there was a PodcastOne incident that saw Raymond Hernandez file a lawsuit against Pattiz in 2017 for allegedly requiring him to fake data to boost advertising revenue as Pattiz brandished loaded handguns to force compliance. When Hernandez voiced his complaint about the matter, he was fired. Hernandez was the target of bullying, he claimed, because it was his assumption Pattiz fingered him as the source of a leaked recording in which Pattiz requested to McDonald that he hold her breasts during a recording of a commercial for a bra brand.

The incidents put a black mark on a career that included roles on the Broadcasting Board of Governors, overseeing the Voice of America. He was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in 2009, and in that same year was named a “Giant of Broadcasting” by the Library of American Broadcasting Foundation.

Pattiz’s name can also be heard on every edition of Casey’s Top 40, created in 1989 after legendary air personality Casey Kasem was replaced by Shadoe Stevens at American Top 40. Instead of retiring, Kasem inked a deal with Westwood One, and Pattiz, that named him Executive Producer of a program that would eventually outlive Stevens’ AT40, and return Kasem to host AT40 until stepping down for good in the 1990s.

Pattiz also engineered the creation of the Westwood One Radio Group, which infamously agreed to purchase KIQQ-FM in Los Angeles from Outlet Broadcasting. That deal led to the hiring of Scott Shannon and the March 1989 transformation of the station to Rock-driven Top 40 KQLZ “Pirate Radio.” Shannon’s tenure would end in early 1991, and Westwood One would eventually sell KQLZ, today known as KKLQ and a K-LOVE Member station owned by Educational Media Foundation.

By Monday evening, tributes to Pattiz were being shared across the entire audio entertainment industry. B. Eric Rhoads, founder of Radio Ink and Chairman/CEO of RBR+TVBR, Radio Ink and Podcast Business Journal parent Streamline Publishing, said, “Norm was a hurricane — a force to be reckoned with. From his early entrepreneurial days when he struggled to start Westwood One, his success was because of his relentless drive. When Norm faced a problem, before the day was out he had dozens of unique solutions and had implemented several of them. He was absolutely unstoppable. Norm was also one of the biggest innovators I’ve known in the industry. He was always trying new things, and could somehow see around corners years in advance. Of course his passion for podcasting was very early and ahead of the game, but his vision paid off. Norm was also the consummate showman, he did everything big and with style. I’m truly honored to have called him friend and colleague.”

Speaking to RBR+TVBR late Monday, Jack Hobbs, President of reVOLVER Podcasts, shared, “Norm was a fighter but also a gentleman as well. He taught me how to build a radio network at Univision and the reVOLVER network, even though they competed for the same dollar. Funny … he said, ‘I don’t know anything about Latino. You do it.'”

In comments made on his AllAccess.comJoel Denver said, “We have lost a true media icon. Norm was an amazing person to work with and I learned a lot from him while at R&R as CHR Editor. He’d come to R&R and walk up and down the hallways, chatting everyone up. He was an amazing motivator and a true force of nature. Over at Westwood One, he had a flair for creativity and taking chances. Norm gave me my deal for ‘Future Hits,’ which had an 11-year run [in syndication] at Westwood One. I am truly grateful for his friendship and generosity.”

4 COMMENTS

  1. While at ABC Radio Networks, in the late 70’s and early 80’s we tried endlessly to compete against Norm and his team….but he was truly unstoppable. A real gent, who was tireless in his focus on any business he was involved with! RIP Norm…your legend will live on in the annals of broadcast media!

  2. I worked with Norm at Westwood One. He was the best of the best! He respected and supported women executives. He was a talented, generous, kind man. He will be missed! My condolences to his wife Mary and sister Sandra and family..

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