NORMAN PATTIZ
Chairman, Westwood One
Governor, USBBG

"Values and Responsibility in Public Media"
"Competing for Hearts and Minds in the Middle-East"

Norman Pattiz started a small radio syndication company in 1976 in a one room office on the westside of Los Angeles.  Today, over twenty-five years later, that company is Westwood One, America’s largest radio network organization, and a major supplier of traffic, news and sports programming to local TV stations. 

In May of 2000, Mr. Pattiz was appointed by President Clinton to the United States Broadcasting Board of Governors, and reappointed by President Bush in September of 2002.  The BBG oversees all U.S. non-military international broadcasting including Voice of America, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Worldnet Television, Radio and TV Marti, and Radio Free Asia. 

Mr. Pattiz serves on the executive committee, is chairman of the Middle East committee and is co-chair of the language review committee. Mr. Pattiz spearheaded the creation of the USBBG’s new Middle East Radio Network (Radio Sawa) and is currently leading the development of a new U.S. sponsored Arabic language satellite TV channel to the entire Middle East.

Mr. Pattiz is strongly committed to education. He was appointed by Governor Gray Davis to the Board of Regents of the University of California.  He is past president of the Broadcast Education Association, a member of the Board of Councilors of the Annenberg School for Communication at USC, and is primary benefactor of the Hamilton High Academy of Music (LAUSD’s Magnet School for Music and Performing Arts).  He also serves on the boards of RAND’s Center for Middle East Public Policy, the State of California’s Commission on Building for the 21st Century, the Museum of Television & Radio, the Hollywood Radio and Television Society, Cedars Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles and the Earth Communications Office.

Mr. Pattiz has been the recipient of numerous professional and leadership awards including, an honorary doctorate in Fine Arts from Southern Illinois University, the Distinguished Education Service Award from the Broadcast Education Association, the Freedom of Speech Award from NARTSH, Radio Business Report’s “Executive of the Year,” The Gallagher Report’s “Radio Industry Executive of the Year,” and Executive Magazine’s “Executive of the Year.”  He has also been honored by the Performing Arts Center of Los Angeles  and the Israel Policy Forum.