Tony
Downes Biography
WTMC WLLO
WMMZ
At
about age 3 I knew I wanted to be in radio as my mom would catch me in her car
changing the radio station. Back then in Ocala radio consisted of a mere three
AM stations: WMOP-AM 900, WTMC-AM 1290, and
a black station; WKOS-AM
1370, which would later become WWKE-AM
1370 "Key Radio"." Constantly I would mimic the
DJ on the radio, and whenever on trips, I would log stations in my log book
wondering and hoping one day to own a radio station. Through high school I would
draw a studio with a house to mimic what my station would look like. In high
school I envisioned WSSF-FM 101.3. I got my first taste of radio in 1979
when the late great Vernon Arnette trained me on weekends at WTMC.
After high school I took my training to WFAM-FM 91.1 in Jacksonville, a
part of Jones College, where my
professor at the time expected no less than A scores on test. Often I was left
with keys to lockup station. I was called the "jinx" at college
station because while I was on the air President Ronald Reagan was shot and John
Lennon had died during my shift. I also experimented with today's contemporary
jazz by removing blues jazz from the play-list and just playing the hits. This
often got me into trouble, but it sounded good in 1982, so I stuck with it.
After graduating from Jones College with an Associates Degree in
Broadcasting, WFAM-FM changed frequencies to its current position of 90.9
where it resides today as WKTZ-FM 90.9,
a beautiful music station. I had a major influence on the frequency change which
was due to a 100,000 watt station on the same frequency in Savannah, GA which
was blasting all over WFAM’s 1,000 watt signal. WKTZ is now
50,000 watts on 90.9. It took a couple of years when a station in Crystal River
Florida gave me my first big break. Owner Thad Lowrey and a young Dave
Harrell gave me my first shot in commercial radio on WXCV-FM
95.3 "Citrus 95" where I was on air from 4PM to
midnight. A year later, I was switched to 12am-6am to handle a disgruntled
overnight jock, but I didn’t care. I just wanted to do radio. I also
experimented with what is now hot A/C on "Citrus" and also
weathered major hurricane Elena in the 80s. After a management change, four
years had gone by, and I was let go. The reason I was given by new management
was I’d never do radio again, but I proved them wrong as I moved to WLLO-FM
92.1, "Willow 92" in Williston, Florida, where again I
experimented with "Easy Listening" by adding vocals to the format,
similar to the sound of WDUV-FM 105.5 (Tampa) today. After
"Willow" I was offered a full time overnight shift at WMMZ-FM "Z93",
a 100,000 watt "CHR" station in Ocala Florida. I did the overnight
shift there for two years before heading to WKTK-FM
98.5 (Crystal River) then WTRS-AM
920 then WXOF-FM
96.3, all doing part time. In the year 2000 WRZN-AM
720 "Sunshine 720" hired me as a part time weekender. I have
also been doing weekends for WRZN’s sister station WRGO-FM
102.7 "Fun 102.7". In 2002 the FCC allowed communities to
have low power FM stations and the birth of WRLE-FM 94.9 Dunnellon
Florida began, licensed to Power Ministries which I own. WRLE was
licensed on February 2004.
Now I live in that house with the studio I drew in high school. One station
thought I’d never do radio again, but it’s a business I’ll do till the day
I die. Today I am happy to say I have a new wife and baby girl. Life can't be any
better. |
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