Topic: Norm Pattis

Radio legend Norm Pattis and his network, Podcast One, are facing lawsuits from a former employee alleging unethical business practices. The employee claims Pattis brandished a firearm while demanding that download numbers be "doctored" to inflate advertising rates. The incident highlights the ongoing struggle to monetize podcast networks and the prevalence of fraudulent metrics in the industry.

The hosts analyze the 10th Annual Podcast Awards and the involvement of Podcast One, led by Westwood One founder Norm Pattis. Curry argues that the podcast network model is fundamentally flawed, citing his own experience with Podshow as evidence that centralized networks struggle with measurement and creator relations. They discuss the lack of a central authority like Nielsen or Arbitron in the podcasting space and the difficulties of scaling advertising across diverse shows.

Westwood One founder Norm Pattis is criticized for launching PodcastOne, which the hosts describe as a clone of the failed 2004 PodShow model. They argue that Pattis's attempt to aggregate content for national advertisers is outdated and incompatible with the independent nature of podcasting.