Michael W. Lowe    Biography
WEZY    WKKO    WWKO  WCKS   WFTU    WRMF    WORZ-FM     WAOA     WA1A   WLRQ  WSBH

Michaels's radio career began in 1972 at WEZY-AM 1350 where Michael did the play-by-play and color commentary for Merritt Island High School football and Brevard Community College Basketball with Dwayne Nigh and the late Tom Morley. In 1973 Michael moved to WKKO-AM 860, hired by PD Rick Ryder. He worked there, part-time, until March of 1974. Michael replaced Jim Lewis on WCKS-FM 101.1 doing the 6pm-12M shift under PD/GM Les Roberson. He left WCKS for nights at, Top 40 formatted, WRKT-AM 1300 in 1975. Michael would become Program Director under GM Chet Pike. (Chet passed away on October 13, 2004 from heart failure. He was 72.) Following an ownership change in 1978, Michael took over mid-days at cross-town rival, Top 40, WEZY-AM 1350 ("Y-135"). New owner Bob Clark flipped the format to country, changed the call letters to WCWR-AM 1350 and brought in a new PD from Jacksonville named Bill Buck. In August of 1978 Michael left WCWR to become the new PD of WRMF-AM 1060 in Melbourne, before the calls were transferred to Fairbanks when WRMF was sold to Regional Broadcasting.  He remained as PD under the new GM Al Ruscito.  The WRMF staff included; Jim "Biff" Burns-News Director, afternoon anchor Dan Fiorucci (Now an assignment editor for KTUU-TV, Anchorage, Alaska), Alan Thompson-mid-days and Kris Kelly-afternoon drive. Other staffers through 1981 included Nate Webb-news, Lee Gregory (Marla Meyer Grabill), the late Dave Shaw, Gary Tee, "Fast Bobby" Alfano, Dade MarkoPaul GoddardJeff MattisonPat "The Rev." MaggioPaul GardinerLarry Spilman and Alan Wilkerson. Our engineers were Mark McKibben and John Miller.  Michael writes; "...Thanks to former PD and production whiz Lou Josephs for "grand fathering" me into that gig…an interesting three years!..."
It was on to WCKS-FM 101.1 "CK-101",  Cocoa Beach,  where Michael stayed from 1981 until 1985. There, he was reunited with former co-workers Gabriel Burton and GM Les Roberson. In Michaels own words; "...What an incredible station!  After beating my head against the wall for the first five years of CK’s existence trying to beat them—Les Roberson and PD Ray St. James gave me the chance to join them. Working with News Director Michael Kelly in the morning, CK roared to an 18.6 12+ share in the market and a 34.6 share 18-34.  It was also the market’s first million-dollar biller in 1983 under the guidance of Sales Manager Howard Feingold, who’s still going strong at age 84!  Worked with several people here, including Stan Anderson (our Engineer and Promotions Director), Steve Ocean (last seen at "Tiger 95.5" in Montgomery , Alabama ),  Brian Morgan (Brian Kirkland
), now PD at WLOQ-FM, Kym Landers, Bobby Sharp, Mark St. John (now voice-over guy in San Diego),
Billy Charles (Sales at WFTV-Channel 9, Orlando), Jim Morgan "The Chrome Dome" (and the voice of Wal-Mart) Steve Craig (Biddle), Jon Greenwood, Jan Moore (Leslie Overby), Beth Dickey & Larry Kessler..." Capitol Broadcasting took ownership in 1984. The PD at that time was Allen Edwards, who has just started the new Clear Channel Traffic Network which will debut in January, 2005. While there Michael worked with "...the amazing John Bogart, our Production Director (who left for WLW, Cincinnati in ’85) and, a dear friend, the late Perry Moore (why they made him change his name to Mel Burns I’ll never know…I think it was something about his Orlando non-compete from WDBO…whatever)."
1986 saw a brief return (for five months) to WKKO-AM before leaving for Orlando to help PD Allen Edwards start WORZ-FM (101.9). "Z-102 FM The Rock You Grew Up With"  would be the first station to compete with WDIZ(-FM 100.3), since WORJ(-FM 107.7) left the air and before WHTQ(-FM 96.5) and WJRR(-FM 101.1) came into being. Michael started doing the 6PM to Midnight shift, eventually moving to AM drive with Stuart Smith as part of the "Z-102 Morning Patrol". Other members of the "patrol" were traffic guy Ed Geiger and in the news room; Donna Morehouse and Carren Sheldon. The morning show producer was Andy McDonald and works with Michael now as the engineer at Clear Channel-Melbourne.
Michael would take a short lived break from the broadcast business around 1990. He would become a high school teacher and do traffic updates for Orlando radio stations. It wasn't long before Michael would be behind the microphones once again returning to the air at WAOA-FM 107.1, doing mornings with with Al Varnson as "Mike and Al Your Morning Pals". Al Varnson is head of the Varnson Group Advertising Agency, in Atlanta. WAOA PD Jessie Scott, left to become an editor, for the defunct, Gavin Report. (The Gavin Report provided radio airplay charts). Dan Deaton took over as PD in 1992, and turned over the position to Michael in 1994. Michael stepped down in 1995 when GEM Broadcasting and General Manager George Mills attempted to take the station to an AC format. Michael would stay at "A1A" under the leadership of Scott Chase until January of 1997 when he moved to WLRQ-FM 99.3 as PD and morning host. Ownership at WLRQ would change, and GM Tanya Klepper was let go in the transition. Michael also left. 
From 1997 until 2002, it was back to WAOA-FM 107.1. There under PD J.T. Daniels and GM Chet Pike, WA1A went to (it’s first-ever) number one in the Spring ’97 book. Michael took over as PD/OM. WA1A remained at number one for a market setting record of 12 straight books, before slipping from the top in the Spring of 2003.
In 2002, Michael would leave for WGNX-FM in Vero Beach, spending about  a year there. Michael joined WLRQ-FM 99.3 in 2004, as PD and has already had two number one books, and as Michael said; "... and counting…see you in late January for an update."  


Veteran Let Go
      11-22-20
WLRQ-FM 99.3's morning co-host, Michael W. Lowe has been let go. Michael joined WLRQ-FM 99.3 in 2004, as Program Director. We'll see if this is retirement for the man that has spent forty eight and one half years behind a microphone. 


He's Back...       9-15-21
Michael W. Lowe returns to the Central Florida air waves beginning Monday, Sep. 20. Michael is joining the staff at WSBH-FM 98.5. He will be the guy to take you home afternoons from 3PM-7PM.

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