Westwood One Founder Norm Pattiz Dead at Age 79

Norm Pattiz

Westwood One founder Norm Pattiz died Sunday evening at age 79. He launched the radio programming and syndication network in 1976. After leaving the company in 2010, Pattiz then went on to launch Courtside Entertainment and then PodcastOne. Pattiz was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in 2009, and received the Library of American Broadcasting Foundation's Giants of Broadcasting in 2009.

"With Norm Pattiz' passing, we have lost a true media visionary," said Suzanne Grimes, President of Westwood One and EVP of Marketing for Cumulus Media. "He founded Westwood One, which grew to become the largest radio network in the United States and one of the top media companies in the world. His legacy lives on in all of us at Westwood One."

PodcastOne President Kit Gray commented, "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."

Latest Radio Stories

Saga Q1 Revenue Falls, Net Loss Widens

Saga Communications

Saga Communications reported first quarter 2026 net revenue declined 5.6% to $22.9 million, down from $24.2 million in the same period a year ago. Station operating expense was essentially flat, decreasing 0.2% to $22 million. The company posted an operating loss of $3.3 million More

MapQuest Adds iHeartRadio Streaming to Platform

iHeartRadio

MapQuest and iHeartRadio have announced a new partnership that integrates live iHeartRadio streaming directly into MapQuest.com, marking the first time audio has been built into the navigation platform. The integration allows users to listen to live radio while navigating, with a new "Live Radio" button More

Beasley Detroit Partners with MBBA on Outreach

Beasley Media and MBBA

Beasley Media Group Detroit has announced a new partnership with the Michigan Black Business Alliance (MBBA) aimed at supporting Black-owned businesses and expanding community engagement across Southeast Michigan. As part of the collaboration, Beasley's Detroit radio brands-105.9 KISS-FM, 105.1 The More

Adams Named Host of Marketplace Morning Report

Kimberly Adams

American Public Media's Marketplace has named Kimberly Adams as the next host of its weekday program Marketplace Morning Report, effective June 8. Adams, currently Senior Washington Correspondent and host of the "Make Me Smart" podcast, succeeds David Brancaccio, who has hosted the program for 13 years. More

Ellen Tailor Returns to Mornings at Seattle's Wolf

Ellen Tailor and Aaron Crawford

Audacy's KKWF-FM (100.7 The Wolf) in Seattle has launched a new morning show, "Ellen & Aaron," featuring Ellen Tailor and Aaron Crawford. The program airs weekday mornings from 6-10am PT, marking Tailor's return to the station and Crawford's move into morning drive. Drew Bland, Brand More

Hope Media Backed 'America Reads the Bible' Event

Hope Media Group

Hope Media Group partnered with Christians Engaged to support the "America Reads the Bible" live event, held from April 18-25 at the Museum of the Bible. The weeklong event brought together nearly 500 national leaders who read the Bible aloud from beginning to end as part of a More

Return to Menu

Westwood One Founder Norm Pattiz Dead at Age 79

Latest Radio Stories

Follow us on:

Copyright © 1989-2026 RADIO ONLINE ^®

Westwood One Founder Norm Pattiz Dead at Age 79

Latest Radio Stories

Follow us on:

Copyright © 1989-2026 RADIO ONLINE ®

Copyright © 1989-2026 RADIO ONLINE ^®