Tom Kent
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Tom Kent is a nationally syndicated radio personality from Cleveland, Ohio. He was born and raised in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. He began his radio career at the age of 15 at radio station WAIR in Winston-Salem. His early passion was for music and the personalities that presented that music. On June 29, 2002, he founded, created, owned, and was the CEO and President of the TKO Radio Network. There Kent amassed over 200 markets from coast to coast and around the world with original programming all hosted by himself.[citation needed]
[edit] Biography
Prior to becoming syndicated, Kent worked on the air and in programming at top 40 radio stations WLS in Chicago where he was not only a high profile air talent on the station but was also assistant program director. Kent also worked on the air at KLIF in Dallas, WIBG Philadelphia, WGCL and WIXY in Cleveland, WMJX in Miami, WAVA in Washington, DC where he was also briefly the Interim Program Director while management looked for a replacement PD and WBZZ (B-94) Pittsburgh.
Kent was hired from WAVA to a station in Charlotte as Program Director where he planned to buy a house. On closing day, the station called him in. He told the GM he couldn't as he was closing on his new house shortly. The GM insisted, so Tom complied. When he arrived, he was dismissed. It was a REALLY nice thing for them to do, as he could go to settlement and "intend" to close on the home. He was able to tell them he just lost his job, so the band withdrew mortgage approval and Tom got his deposit back. While a bad thing to happen -- being fired -- management showed something rare in broadcasting. They actually had a heart and didn't want to hurt Tom more than necessary.
From there, Kent moved "back" to Cleveland to manage a fast food franchise for a relative. From there he re-entered radio.
In addition, Kent worked in the music industry as a promotion executive for Elektra Entertainment which was a division of Time-Warner's Warner Music Group. While an executive at Elektra, Kent received many awards including "Promotion Rookie of the Year" and "Promotion Executive of the Year" both separate and individual awards in different years. He helped break and bring to the national music spotlight national music recording super star artists Tracy Chapman, Third Eye Blind, Keith Sweat, Moby, Natalie Merchant, Simply Red, Missy Elliot, Gerald Levert, Metallica, Yolanda Adams, and En Vogue.
Kent's nationally syndicated radio shows were hosted from a broadcast studio in his home in suburban Cleveland, Ohio where he invited callers to make requests, as well as participate in stunts, and other entertaining features. Some of those features where the "Redneck Classic" which was a daily feature that highlighted a country top 40 Pop crossover hit that very rarely received airplay, the "Cheesy Song of the Show" which was a song that he lampooned as being really cheesy usually requested by a "cheesehead" from Wisconsin, the "Misread Lyric" where he introduced his wife, under the name "Karaoke Karen," who would tell the world what she thought the artist was really singing and then break into song, and the "Secret Cellar" which was a lost and forgotten song from the "musty dusty" part of the basement. In addition, Kent created the "Party in the Basement", the nation's first five hour daily live national party show.
Other shows he created were "Into the 70s with Tom Kent" which was a five hour live show dedicated to the music of the 1970s with a totally contemporary presentation. His weekday offering was called "Classic Top 40 with Tom Kent" which featured Kent's off the wall personality along with top 40 hit music of the 60s, 70s and 80s. Kent also developed the "Classic Top 40" format which was an update of the traditional oldies format. Another show he created and hosted was "Hall of Fame Coast to Coast" which was his original five hour weekend party show broadcast live via satellite on Saturday night although in some markets several stations played it back in other dayparts. His national network shows fast became the fastest growing syndicated radio shows in America.[citation needed] Most of the network affiliates for Tom Kent's shows reported dramatic growth in ratings and in most cases were number one in Kent's daypart.[citation needed] One common denominator when Tom Kent was on the radio was consistent increase in audience through regular monitored Arbitron ratings. Quality programming coupled with dramatic audience growth was the primary reason for the enormous growth of the network.[citation needed]
Kent's nationally syndicated radio shows had the unique distinction of being the only totally live network shows in the country.[citation needed] His shows were never voicetracked or recorded but always originated completely live.
Because of the dramatic growth of the network, in February 2006, Kent created and launched "Tom Kent's Classic Top 40 Channel, 24/7 Fun" which was a 24-hour format. It offered radio stations a 24 hour personality programming solution and all of Kent's programs available 24 hours a day.
On June 29, 2007, five years to the date of the network's launch, Kent resigned as host of his TKO radio network shows. While he initially maintained a part-ownership stake in the network as well as the title of CEO and President of the network, he has since sold the company and all interest and is no longer associated in any way with any of the current programming on the network.
On March 12, 2008, Kent launched a new network, the Tom Kent Radio Network. The initial offerings of the new network are featuring Tom Kent's shows which are being offered 24/7. The network is planning on introducing live shows hosted by other personalities in the future. Programs hosted by Kent include a five hour totally live daily show as well as three different weekend shows: "Tom Kent Weekend" (a five hour weekend version of his daily show), "The Ultimate Party" (a live Saturday evening party show from 7pm to midnight) and "My 70s Show" (a five hour 70s show). The new network has already begun building a lineup of stations across the country, many of whom also carried his previous offerings. Shows on the new network are live and target adults 25-54. The new Tom Kent Radio Network now reports more than 86 new affiliates since its launch on March 12 including CBS owned and operated station WOMC in Detroit, Michigan and WMXJ in Miami, Florida.[citation needed]
[edit] Personal life
Kent lives in suburban Cleveland, Ohio with his wife, three kids and two dogs. Kent and his family moved back to Cleveland in 1988 and have lived there since.
Tom is his first name, Kent is his middle name. His real last name is Newton.
