Norman Pattiz, founder and chairman of the radio network Westwood One will be inducted into the National Radio Hall of Fame on Nov. 7 in Chicago.
Pattiz founded Westwood One in 1974 in a one-room office in the Westwood area of West Los Angeles, with one radio show and a single employee — himself. Since then, the company has become an industry leader in syndicated network radio programming and has acquired NBC radio networks, Metro Traffic and distribution agreements with CBS and CNN. It is widely considered a leading source for national news, sports, talk, entertainment and informational programming.
Pattiz is an accomplished local: He graduated from Hamilton High School and now supports the Hamilton Music Academy in addition to serving on the University of California Board of Regents. Pattiz is a well-known Democratic donor with strategic political alliances; both Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush appointed him to serve on the Broadcasting Board of Governors from 2000-2006, where he created and launched the U.S. government’s radio and television services throughout all 22 countries in the Middle East.
In receiving the honor, Pattiz joins previous Hall of Fame inductees Larry King, Charles Osgood and Jim Bohannon, all of whom are Westwood One veterans. He is currently a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and the Pacific Council on International Policy.
“I am honored and grateful to be included in a group of broadcasting icons that have been part of my lifelong love affair with radio,” Pattiz said. “It’s quite a feeling.”
