Westwood One Westwood One was an American radio network and was based in New York City . At one time , it was managed by CBS Radio , the radio arm of CBS Corporation , and Viacom ( 1971 – 2005 ) and was later purchased by the private equity firm The Gores Group . Due to purchases , mergers and other forms of consolidation in the 1980s and 1990s , at one time or another , it had ownership stakes in or syndication rights to some of the most famous brands in network radio , including CBS , NBC , Mutual , CNN , Fox and Unistar . The company was one of the largest producers and distributors of radio programming in the United States . It broadcast entertainment , news , weather , sports , talk , and traffic programming to about 7 , 700 radio stations across the United States . The company was the U . S . ' s top provider of local traffic reports through its subsidiaries , Metro Networks , Shadow Broadcast Services , SmartRoute Systems , and Sigalert . com . Westwood One also offers weather services ; originally using Accuweather , Westwood switched to The Weather Channel in 2009 . Oaktree Capital Management , through its Triton Media Group division , merged with Westwood One in October 2011 . Triton then folded Westwood One into its Dial Global subsidiary . The Westwood One name was initially retained for most sports programming . However , starting with the 2011 – 12 NFL playoffs , Westwood One ' s sports programming was branded as " Westwood One on the Dial Global Radio Network . " After the NFL Playoffs concluded , the Westwood One name was removed altogether in favor of the Dial Global Sports Network , and the sports website has been relocated to www . dialglobalsports . com . History . The company was founded by Norman J . Pattiz in 1976 . At the time , he was a former advertising sales executive with KCOP - TV , a Los Angeles TV station . He was listening to a local radio station doing a Motown weekend , and decided to syndicate " The Sound of Motown " to radio . The show was a success . He added several more shows during the 1970s , including Dr . Demento and Mary Turner ' s " Off The Record . " . In 1981 Norm Pattiz started recording live concerts for broadcast with a Chuck Berry recording in January of that year , the company was a leader in live broadcasts and concert recordings for radio , until May 2011 when Westwood stopped recording live concerts . By 1982 , Pattiz was distributing his radio shows via satellite through an arrangement with idb Communications in Culver City . Pattiz took Westwood One public in 1984 , and with the money raised by the IPO , he purchased the Mutual Broadcasting System in 1985 , and the NBC Radio Network in 1987 . Other highlights in the late 1980s include the purchase of three radio stations , the trade paper " Radio & Records " , and the hiring of Casey Kasem from ABC . Although Pattiz long remained a major shareholder and board chairman , control and management shifted to others in the early 1990s . First , in 1993 , it was to radio station group owner Infinity Broadcasting , headed by Mel Karmazin , who also took over direct management of Westwood . With Infinity already owning and managing competing Unistar Radio Networks ( formerly known as the RKO Radio Networks and later as United Stations Radio Networks , which merged with Transtar in the late 1980s ) , the two companies were combined under the Westwood name in 1994 ( later spinning off Transtar in 2006 ) . After the sale of his Infinity Broadcasting to Westinghouse , then parent of CBS , Karmazin went on to become COO of CBS and under his control , CBS took over management of Westwood . CBS also had a significant ownership stake in Westwood , which then purchased Metro Networks in 1999 in a three - way merger involving Metro Networks , Copter Acquisition Corp . and Westwood . On August 30 , 2010 , Pattiz stepped down from the board and was succeeded as chairman by Mark Stone , Senior Managing Director of the Gores Group , which by then was majority owner and controlled Westwood . A Westwood press release said Pattiz signed a new contract as a company consultant . Pattiz has now started " Podcastone " providing a central website for listeners to find their favorite radio personalities . Purchase of Mutual and NBC . In 1985 , Westwood One purchased the Mutual Broadcasting System , one of the " Big Four " of the 1940s in American radio , and continued to operate it as a separate network program service into the 1990s . However , by the early 1990s , Mutual ended up simply being a brand name for programming provided by Westwood One . CBS - run Westwood One discontinued using the Mutual name in 1999 in favor of CNN Radio , to which it had syndication rights from its 1994 merger with Unistar and the Mutual name passed permanently from use on the air . Two years after the Mutual purchase , in 1987 , Westwood One acquired the NBC Radio Network and licensed the use of the name " NBC Radio Network News " ( later shortened to " NBC Radio News " ) from General Electric , which was divesting all of the NBC radio properties created or purchased by former NBC owner RCA . Like Mutual , NBC ceased operating as a network and merely became a brand name , even to the point of being merged " into " Mutual itself and eventually assimilated into the syndicator . NBC ' s other services , The Source and NBC Talknet , would last into the late 1990s before being retired . Until the Dial Global merger , the " NBC Radio " brand was still occasionally used , including twice daily at the halfway point and conclusion of the early morning news magazine " First Light " ( which has since revived the " NBC " branding throughout the program ) . In 2003 , NBC News began contracting with Westwood One to produce a new radio news service , " NBC News Radio , " consisting of one - minute updates written by Westwood staffers and read by NBC News talent . Westwood One also distributed the audio of " Meet the Press " , the monologues of NBC ' s late night programming , CNBC radio reports , and distribution of localized forecasts for The Weather Channel , which effectively united all of NBC ' s programming under one network . Westwood One provided operational , sales and marketing support for the CBS Radio Network , whose properties are owned by the CBS Corporation . In turn , CBS managed production of " Mutual " and " NBC Radio " newscasts from 1998 until the retirement of the original " NBC Radio " top - of - the - hour newscasts in June 2004 . The CBS Radio news and sports broadcasts ( the latter specifically branded as " from Westwood One " ) were distributed from the CBS / Westwood One Master Control at the CBS Broadcast Center in New York City . Westwood One also provided alternate feeds of NFL football games to Sirius Satellite Radio . Westwood One expanded into digital media with the hiring of radio veteran Gary Krantz in 2006 ; Krantz remained with the company until March 2008 . Sale . On May 4 , 2007 , the " New York Post " reported that Westwood One had retained investment bank UBS to seek potential buyers for the network . In October 2007 , Westwood and CBS Radio signed a new contractual agreement by which Westwood would hire its own officers and directors , and CBS would benefit from Westwood One programming and trademark licenses . Westwood will also enjoy the benefit of CBS trademarks , under the agreement , which was filed as part of the companies ' public disclosures with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission . The new agreement took effect on March 3 , 2008 , the same day that Gores Radio Group invested $ 12 , 500 , 000 as part of a multi - stage investment takeover of Westwood One . The second stage of the Gores investment happened only two weeks later , with an identical investment of $ 12 , 500 , 000 , which gave Gores Radio direct ownership of more than 14 , 000 , 000 shares of stock in Westwood One . Gores Radio Group companies states it has been investing in media since the late 1980s . Westwood One stock was formerly traded on the New York Stock Exchange , but was delisted as of November 21 , 2008 for failing to maintain market capitalization requirements . As of November 2008 , shares of the company trade publicly on the Pink Sheets under the stock symbol WWON . PK . After further stock losses , the Gores Group bought the company outright in March 2009 . They relisted the company on NASDAQ later that year . It is now listed " dial . " Westwood One announced its merger with Dial Global in August 2011 . The merger closed on October 21 , 2011 , and outside of CBS Radio Sports programming produced by the network ( including , and most notably , the " NFL on Westwood One " ) , the name Westwood One is no longer in active use . Much of Westwood One ' s staff , including founder Norman Pattiz , went on to found Courtside Entertainment Group . Overview . The company was one of the largest producers and distributors of radio programming in the United States . It broadcast entertainment , news , weather , sports , talk , and traffic programming to about 7 , 700 radio stations across the USA . The company is America ' s top provider of local traffic reports through its subsidiaries , Metro Networks , Shadow Broadcast Services , SmartRoute Systems , and Sigalert . com . Westwood One also offers weather services ; originally using Accuweather , Westwood switched to The Weather Channel in 2009 . Notable personalities . Talk radio personalities distributed by Westwood One included at various times Phil Valentine , Dennis Miller , Jim Bohannon , Billy Bush , Robert Wuhl , Drew Pinsky ( " Loveline " ) , G . Gordon Liddy , Joe Scarborough , Kevin and Bean , Tom Leykis , Opie and Anthony , Don and Mike and Adam Carolla . The company syndicated these shows across AM and FM affiliates but did not provide the programs to satellite radio . Westwood One distributed the radio news operations of CNN and NBC as well as its corporate cousin , the CBS Radio Network . In the early 2000s , Westwood One handled the distribution of Fox News Radio ; that has since moved to Premiere Radio Networks . One Fox program , " The Radio Factor " , hosted by Bill O ' Reilly , continued to be distributed by Westwood One until O ' Reilly ' s departure from the show in January 2009 . The time slot was later held by Fred Thompson and Douglas Urbanski . " Imus in the Morning " was carried on Westwood One from 1993 until the controversy surrounding his remarks to the Rutgers women ' s basketball team led to his firing in 2007 . The program is now heard on Cumulus Media Networks . In 2009 , the network added several short - form features based on television series syndicated by CBS Television Distribution : " The Doctors ' Orders " , " Ask Dr . Phil " , " Rach on the Radio " , and " The Insider Radio Minute " . Westwood One attempted to secure the rights to " The Savage Nation " , but current syndicator Talk Radio Network refused to let host Michael Savage out of what apparently is a perpetual contract . By the time the contract dispute was settled in Savage ' s favor , Westwood One had already dissolved . Rick Dees moved from Citadel Media to Westwood One in 2011 . 24 - hour radio formats via satellite to affiliate stations . Until 2006 , Westwood One distributed a number of 24 - hour radio formats via satellite to affiliate stations . These formats included : Adult Rock & Roll ( classic rock ) , Adult Standards ( formerly AM Only ) , Bright AC ( hot adult contemporary ) , CNN Headline News , Hot Country , Mainstream Country , ( variety hits ) , Soft AC , The Oldies Channel and Westwood One 70s . The 24 hour formats , originally acquired through Westwood One ' s purchase of Unistar in 1993 , were spun off in 2006 and are currently distributed under the Dial Global brand ( now owned by Triton Media Group ) . ( Westwood One 70s was abandoned prior to 2000 . ) The lone exception is the audio feed of CNN Headline News , which remains part of the CNN Radio branding under Westwood One . Music programs syndicated . Westwood One syndicated several popular programs for a variety of music formats . Shows include " The Beatle Years " with Bob Malik , " Beatle Brunch " with Joe Johnson , " Country Countdown USA " , " Superstar Concert Series " , " Absolutely Live , " " Country Gold " ( in most markets , also known as " Country Gold Saturday Night " , but also available on Sunday ) , " Randy Jackson ' s Hit List " with Randy Jackson and Kesha Monk , " 106 and Park Weekend Countdown " with Terrence and Rocsi , MTV " TRL Weekend Countdown " , " Off the Record with Mary Turner and later Joe Benson " , " VH1 Concerts and Specials " , " Out of Order with Jed the Fish " , and the " Country Six Pack " of holiday music specials . " The Dr . Demento Show " was carried by Westwood One from 1978 to 1992 , and rights to those shows are still held by Westwood One . Many of these programs were not carried over in the Dial Global merger ; Compass Media Networks picked up the rock - oriented programs , the country programs were split up among various networks , and the fate of the pop programs are unknown . Live concerts and sports broadcasts . Westwood One was most notable for its coverage of live events , and the location recording of live concerts . They broadcast the famous Grateful Dead concert of June 21 , 1989 which was the summer solstice and were able to provide the service of live music to fans around the country , something that no modern AM / FM radio stations do . However with the merger with Dial Global , the company no longer records live music and has shut down the award winning mobile recording department . It still holds exclusive national radio rights for many sporting events including National Football League and college football games , the Olympic Games , the NCAA Basketball Tournament ( this and NFL coverage are co - produced with corporate sibling CBS TV ) , the Masters and U . S . Open golf , Wimbledon tennis tournament , the Frozen Four of college hockey , and the GRAMMY Award s . For many years the network also aired Notre Dame football and National Hockey League games . Westwood One also handles sales and advertising for the Sports USA Radio Network , beginning in 2009 . Notable sports announcers for Dial Global include : Scott Graham , Kevin Harlan , Brad Sham , Dave Sims , Kevin Kugler , John Tautges , John Sadak , Ian Eagle , Tom McCarthy , Chuck Cooperstein , Kevin Calabro , and Dave Ryan . Past personalities include : Marv Albert , Howard David , and Gary Cohen . Syndicated news and traffic programming . In 2005 , Westwood One , Inc . and its traffic subsidiary , Metro Networks , sent several existing officers and directors of Westwood to Canada and Australia to unify a number of helicopter aviation companies that were already providing reports to Westwood One and Metro Networks ' affiliates . The result was the incorporation of a company called Global Traffic Network , which began taking deliveries of Robinson R44 news helicopters in 2005 . The companies signed a three - way content and data sharing agreement in November 2005 , which is part of documents on file with the U . S . Securities and Exchange Commission ( SEC ) in Washington , D . C .