Ken Dowe
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Hear Ken on KNUS
in Dallas in April 1974

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Ken Dowe enjoyed a wonderful career in radio for 50 years, beginning as a 20 year old (Major Market) Morning Show Personality in San Diego... with a stop at WQXI in Atlanta, before vaulting to Texas to become a Dallas Ft. Worth radio legend. Dowe earned ratings as high as a 60%a share over 50,000 watt KLIF - 1190 AM - and then created the first FM Powerhouse in Dallas, KNUS.
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Sixties Top Forty Days at KLIF, Dallas

Dave Ambrose (at mike), Ken Dowe, Don Robertson (standing),
Charlie Van Dyke, Jimmy Rabbit, Hal Martin and Michael O'Shea of
.f motion pict
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.......Although only in his 20s, his mentor Gordon McLendon took him off-air to serve as his right hand and the McLendon Corporation's Executive Vice President.  During those years the McLendons owned the nation's largest group of independent radio stations, serving Dallas, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Buffalo, and Detroit. McLendon was one of the two founders of Top 40 radio, and had created All News and EZ Listening Radio. The McLendon Corporation simultaneously owned and operated dozens of motion picture theaters and had vast holdings in commercial real estate across the nation. 

In 1972 the McLendon Corporation sold their stations except for a lone and lowly rated FM in Dallas Ft. Worth. At Gordon's request Ken created the market's first highly rated FM station, the remarkable KNUS, which became one of only a handful of viable FMs in America and the new #1 DFW station in just 18 months.  Ironically, it toppled KLIF the recently sold flagship of the McLendon fleet, which had led the market for more than a generation.  In 1975 Ken Dowe created a 1-2 punch in San Antonio with KTSA and KTFM respectively. This first and second station owned nearly 25% of the market.  

Five years later he set out on a  new career as owner- operator of his own group of stations in California, Texas, Oklahoma, and Louisiana. His partner was Clint Murchison the founder of the DALLAS COWBOYS.  Their first station was KLTE (K-Lite) in Oklahoma City, where Ken created "Light Rock" radio.  In San Jose KLZE rose to from un-ranked to second and third in the market.  After selling his group in the early 90s Ken re-created K104 from an obscure Urban FM to the #1 position in all demos for the better part of 15 years.  

In 2009 he and his wife of 5 decades retired to their homes in Dallas, East Texas, and Santa Fe.  His proudest accomplishment has been seeing the great success of such industry giants as Charlie Van Dyke, Dan Mason, and the many others whom he was able to provide opportunities throughout the years....and to have guided three different radio stations programming three entirely different formats... to the top of the nation's fifth largest market, Dallas-Ft. Worth.......

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All About Ken Dowe - Inside Scoop from Bob Shannon

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