Westwood One, PodcastOne Founder Norm Pattiz Dies At 79

Pattiz

ALL ACCESS has learned that NORM PATTIZ, the founder of the original WESTWOOD ONE and PODCASTONE and a NATIONAL RADIO HALL OF FAME honoree, died SUNDAY evening (12/5) at 79.

PATTIZ was a salesman at independent KCOP-TV/LOS ANGELES before launching WESTWOOD ONE in 1976 to syndicate a MOTOWN series; adding "THE DR. DEMENTO SHOW" and "OFF THE RECORD WITH MARY TURNER" (the latter hosted by PATTIZ's wife), the company became a leading radio syndicator as satellite distribution became commonplace. WESTWOOD ONE went public in 1984 and ultimately owned RADIO & RECORDS and MUTUAL BROADCASTING; PATTIZ left the company as Chairman in 2010; WESTWOOD ONE ultimately merged into DIAL GLOBAL in 2011 and reassumed the WESTWOOD ONE name when CUMULUS MEDIA bought DIAL GLOBAL in 2013.

After leaving WESTWOOD ONE, PATTIZ founded COURTSIDE ENTERTAINMENT GROUP (named in honor of his courtside season ticket seats for LOS ANGELES LAKERS games), syndicating LAURA INGRAHAM and producing "LOVELINE WITH DR. DREW" before launching PODCASTONE through his LAUNCHPAD DIGITAL MEDIA in 2013. The company was sold to LIVEXLIVE (now LIVEONE) in 2020, which plans to spin it off into a separate company.

Apart from radio, PATTIZ served on the UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA Board of Regents and Chair of the board's Oversight Committee of the Department of Energy Laboratories; he resigned in 2017 after sexual harassment accusations by a podcast host became public. He also served on the BROADCASTING BOARD OF GOVERNORS, the organization then overseeing the VOICE OF AMERICA, RADIO FREE EUROPE/RADIO LIBERTY, and RADIO/TV MARTI, and on the COUNCIL OF FOREIGN RELATIONS.

PATTIZ was inducted into the NATIONAL RADIO HALL OF FAME in 2009 and received the LIBRARY OF AMERICAN BROADCASTING FOUNDATION''s Giants of Broadcasting Award in the same year.

ALL ACCESS Pres./Publisher JOEL DENVER worked for PATTIZ for many years at RADIO & RECORDS and WESTWOOD ONE, noting, “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 at WESTWOOD ONE. At one point, ‘FUTURE HITS’ was his second-most affiliated show next to CASEY KASEM’s countdown. He also gave me a deal to host 'EARTH NEWS.'  I am truly grateful for his friendship and generosity. My deepest condolences to his wife, MARY TURNER, his family and all of the people who were touched by NORM and benefited personally and professionally from his friendship and knowledge.”

Radio personality and programming icon SCOTT SHANNON told ALL ACCESS, “I did a lot of business with NORM. I was the host ‘ROCKIN' AMERICA TOP 30 COUNTDOWN’ and was the PD/morning man at KQLZ (PIRATE RADIO)/LOS ANGELES. NORM and I had a long and mutually lucrative relationship with him. He was always fun to be around, and lived a successful life. One of the sharpest businesspeople I have ever met.”

PODCASTONE Pres. KIT GRAY said, “NORM was a great innovator in the world of broadcast and his contributions to the genre are immeasurable.  He left an indelible impact on everyone that he met, and he will be deeply missed.”

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