Tom Kent was a longtime radio host and former label executive who founded the TKRN radio network, which provides syndicated radio shows for over 600 stations.
- Died: June 24, 2024 (Who else died on June 24?)
- Details of death: Died in Cleveland of cancer at the age of 69.
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Tom Kent’s legacy
North Carolina-born Tom Kent fell in love with the radio from an early age, and by his 20s was on the air for stations in several major cities, including WLS in Chicago, KLIF in Dallas, and WMJX in Miami. In Washington D.C., he also doubled as program director for WAVA-FM.
After a foray into being a record label executive with Elektra Records in the 1990s – promoting music by a roster that includes Tracy Chapman, Simply Red, Natalie Merchant, Missy Elliott, Metallica and En Vogue – Kent returned to radio in the early 2000s, when he began syndicating live programming. The service began with “Hall of Fame Coast to Coast,” a five-hour weekend oldies show that, within a year, was on over 50 affiliates across the country. That show soon added weekdays, and in 2004, he launched another, this time focused on classic rock from the 1970s.
A year later, Kent had programmed a full roster of daily shows, and by 2006, they were on 100 stations, with Kent himself hosting several of them. He then resigned and sold his TKO Radio Network, launching the Tom Kent Radio Network in 2008, boasting a full lineup of varied shows, hosts, and more. The company’s programming is now on 600 stations and reaches some 100 million listeners.
Kent was married with three adult children, two of whom also became radio hosts.
Tributes to Tom Kent
Full obituary: Ramp247
