Westwood One (1976–2011)

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.

On May 4, 2007, the New York Post reported that Westwood One had retained investment bank UBS to seek potential buyers for the network.[11]

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,[12] 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.[13]

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.[14] 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 under the ticker symbol "DIAL".

Westwood One announced its merger with Dial Global in August 2011. The merger closed on October 21, 2011.

On September 4, 2013, Dial Global, which was purchased by Cumulus Media at the time, announced that it was renaming itself Westwood One and would absorb Cumulus Media Networks (previously ABC Radio and Citadel Media) in the process.

Talk radio personalities distributed by Westwood One included at various times Don and Mike,[15] Phil Valentine, Dennis Miller,[16] Jim Bohannon, Billy Bush, Robert Wuhl, Drew Pinsky (Loveline),[17] G. Gordon Liddy, Joe Scarborough, Kevin and Bean, Tom Leykis, Opie and Anthony 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 1988, Casey Kasem moved from ABC Radio Networks to Westwood One after a contract dispute. Pattiz created Casey's Top 40 for Kasem, as well as adult contemporary spinoffs Casey's Countdown and Casey's Hot 20. Kasem stayed with the network for nine years, leaving in 1998 when AM/FM Radio Networks (now Premiere Radio Networks) allowed him to bring back American Top 40.

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 was heard on Cumulus Media Networks until the show ended in June 2018.

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.[18] 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.

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, SAM - Simply About Music (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. (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.

Westwood One syndicated several popular programs for a variety of music formats. Perhaps its most famous alumnus was Casey Kasem, who spent over nine years hosting a weekly radio countdown franchise for the network.

Other shows included The Beatle Years with Bob Malik (originally hosted by Elliot Mintz and later J.J. Jackson), Beatle Brunch with Joe Johnson, Country Countdown USA,[19] 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.

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.

Westwood One was most notable for its coverage of live events, and the location recording of live concerts for broadcast/distribution via LP, and later, satellite.[20] They broadcast, in syndication, the summer solstice Grateful Dead concert on June 21, 1989, live to fans around the country, a service that the currently conglomerated radio stations no longer do. Since the merger with Dial Global, the company no longer records live music and has shut down its award-winning mobile recording department.

The company 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 Awards. 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.

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.[21][22]