Legendary DJ
BY RYAN MARKMANN
Tom Allen is not recognized by name alone. Fans of country music radio know him by voice.
Allen has been playing some of the best songs classic country music has to offer for almost 24 years on Austin station 98.1 KVET-FM. He also hosts the Country Gold show, the top-rated Saturday morning show in Austin.
To say Allen is a professional in the world of broadcast is an understatement. He has been a DJ for nearly half a century. Though Allen has won numerous awards throughout the years and nominations for “DJ of the Year” by the Country Music Association, Allen has not forgotten his humble beginnings.
“I was asked to fill in for an announcer who had partied too much on New Year’s Eve.” Allen said. “That was my big break.”
Allen found his passion for broadcast while attending the University of Minnesota in his hometown of Duluth. He was offered a job as an announcer for the campus radio station KUMD-FM, and quickly moved to commercial broadcasting. Allen’s transition to country music was not as smooth.
“I became a country DJ totally by accident,” Allen said. “I had been playing music for about six years when the radio station I was working for decided to change formats. They asked me to stay on to see how I liked country music, and I fell in love with it. I’ve been country ever since.”
In 1979, Allen and his family moved to Austin where he was hired as program director for stations KVET and KASE 101. Although many of today’s country stations cater only to contemporary country music, Allen’s preference is for classic country.
Classic country music is typically defined as music recorded from 1945 to 1985, and is significant not only by era, but also by the artist.
“We concentrate on those artists who have made their mark during that 40-year period. For instance, Merle Haggard and Charley Pride are classic country artists, Tim McGraw and Toby Keith are not,” Allen said.
Although Allen is content with playing his favorite music, he also sees a trend in mainstream country music that has affected his own listeners.
“Many, many folks do not consider what is being ‘cranked out’ today as country music. That’s why the older music has such appeal,” Allen said. “I think we’re about to go through what pop music went through that led to the success of oldies and classic rock stations. Growing disenfranchisement led to the popularity of those formats.”
Allen believes today’s country music market is different because the music is driven by a song instead of the artist.
“Years ago, George Jones could record a mediocre song and it would still be a hit. Why? Because he was George Jones,” Allen said. “Today, the song has to measure up, or it doesn’t matter who recorded it.”
Janice Williams, KVET music director and afternoon personality, disagrees.
“I think the current Nashville scene is more artist-driven with the image and total package of Tim McGraw, Shania Twain and Kenny Chesney,” Williams said. “I think their audience looks more for them than the actual song and its appeal.”
Williams plays mostly current country songs on the charts but recognizes classic country’s value to the station.
“The classics are very important to KVET because we were the first station to ever play so many of these great songs in Austin,” Williams said. “Tom is so great with this because he has such a long history with KVET and such a broad range of knowledge.”
Allen acknowledges artists such as George Strait and Alan Jackson as two good examples of country stars who continually stay true to country without pandering to the pop crowd. Allen’s only advice to up-and-coming artists of the genre is to “stay as country as you can.”
Allen’s Country Gold show pulls an impressive 23 percent audience share on Saturdays, meaning a quarter of all radios in the area are tuned to him at that time. The target audience is 35-to 63-year-olds, and Allen is always surprised to hear from younger listeners who have developed an appreciation for classic country music.
“I just got an e-mail from a girl who says her friends think she’s crazy; her main focus of music is on pop and hip-hop, but she loves our Saturday morning classics show. How’s that for diversity?” Allen said.
Listeners who are unable to hear Country Gold on Saturdays can still catch Allen on his weekday program. Ron Curtis, a mechanic at Holt machinery in South Austin, listens to Allen while he works on tractors. Curtis spoke for other mechanics at Holt when he gave a simple reason for listening to classic country.
“It’s what I grew up with,” Curtis said.
(originally published in the Texas State University Star in 2004)
Tom Allen is not recognized by name alone. Fans of country music radio know him by voice.
Allen has been playing some of the best songs classic country music has to offer for almost 24 years on Austin station 98.1 KVET-FM. He also hosts the Country Gold show, the top-rated Saturday morning show in Austin.
To say Allen is a professional in the world of broadcast is an understatement. He has been a DJ for nearly half a century. Though Allen has won numerous awards throughout the years and nominations for “DJ of the Year” by the Country Music Association, Allen has not forgotten his humble beginnings.
“I was asked to fill in for an announcer who had partied too much on New Year’s Eve.” Allen said. “That was my big break.”
Allen found his passion for broadcast while attending the University of Minnesota in his hometown of Duluth. He was offered a job as an announcer for the campus radio station KUMD-FM, and quickly moved to commercial broadcasting. Allen’s transition to country music was not as smooth.
“I became a country DJ totally by accident,” Allen said. “I had been playing music for about six years when the radio station I was working for decided to change formats. They asked me to stay on to see how I liked country music, and I fell in love with it. I’ve been country ever since.”
In 1979, Allen and his family moved to Austin where he was hired as program director for stations KVET and KASE 101. Although many of today’s country stations cater only to contemporary country music, Allen’s preference is for classic country.
Classic country music is typically defined as music recorded from 1945 to 1985, and is significant not only by era, but also by the artist.
“We concentrate on those artists who have made their mark during that 40-year period. For instance, Merle Haggard and Charley Pride are classic country artists, Tim McGraw and Toby Keith are not,” Allen said.
Although Allen is content with playing his favorite music, he also sees a trend in mainstream country music that has affected his own listeners.
“Many, many folks do not consider what is being ‘cranked out’ today as country music. That’s why the older music has such appeal,” Allen said. “I think we’re about to go through what pop music went through that led to the success of oldies and classic rock stations. Growing disenfranchisement led to the popularity of those formats.”
Allen believes today’s country music market is different because the music is driven by a song instead of the artist.
“Years ago, George Jones could record a mediocre song and it would still be a hit. Why? Because he was George Jones,” Allen said. “Today, the song has to measure up, or it doesn’t matter who recorded it.”
Janice Williams, KVET music director and afternoon personality, disagrees.
“I think the current Nashville scene is more artist-driven with the image and total package of Tim McGraw, Shania Twain and Kenny Chesney,” Williams said. “I think their audience looks more for them than the actual song and its appeal.”
Williams plays mostly current country songs on the charts but recognizes classic country’s value to the station.
“The classics are very important to KVET because we were the first station to ever play so many of these great songs in Austin,” Williams said. “Tom is so great with this because he has such a long history with KVET and such a broad range of knowledge.”
Allen acknowledges artists such as George Strait and Alan Jackson as two good examples of country stars who continually stay true to country without pandering to the pop crowd. Allen’s only advice to up-and-coming artists of the genre is to “stay as country as you can.”
Allen’s Country Gold show pulls an impressive 23 percent audience share on Saturdays, meaning a quarter of all radios in the area are tuned to him at that time. The target audience is 35-to 63-year-olds, and Allen is always surprised to hear from younger listeners who have developed an appreciation for classic country music.
“I just got an e-mail from a girl who says her friends think she’s crazy; her main focus of music is on pop and hip-hop, but she loves our Saturday morning classics show. How’s that for diversity?” Allen said.
Listeners who are unable to hear Country Gold on Saturdays can still catch Allen on his weekday program. Ron Curtis, a mechanic at Holt machinery in South Austin, listens to Allen while he works on tractors. Curtis spoke for other mechanics at Holt when he gave a simple reason for listening to classic country.
“It’s what I grew up with,” Curtis said.
(originally published in the Texas State University Star in 2004)
posted by Ryan Markmann at
4:53 PM
1 Comments:
Is this the same Tom Allen who worked for WMNI in Columbus, OH in the late 60's and early 70's?
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home