Notable Deaths – Kent, Chaney

Notable programmer “Truckin” Tom Kent has died. Kent was probably best known as a program director including Pittsburgh’s “B-94” WBZZ (93.7) during the 1980s. He also served at powerhouse stations such as WLS Chicago and WAVA Washington, DC. But his career actually started in high school when he hosted overnights while in high school at WAIR Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

He moved on to the record industry as Midwest Market Manager at Elektra Records from 1990-2004. In 2002 he formed the TKO Radio Network and hosted the nightly “Hall of Fame Coast to Coast” and the weekly “Into the 70s”. In 2008 after selling TKO, he founded the Tom Kent Radio Network.

Kent was 69 when he died Monday morning and is survived by his wife and their three children, two of whom followed him into radio.

The Tom Kent Radio Network will continue with its 23 services and 7 formats. Kent’s radio friends have been remembering him on social media all day. (RadioInsight)

Meanwhile in Pittsburgh, media folk on social media have been mourning the loss of Jonas Chaney who died Sunday. Chaney had been retired from WPXI-TV (11) since 2019 where he had worked in public affairs and sports since the mid-1980s. Prior to TV he had worked for American Urban Radio Networks as a sports reporter. To date, no public tribute has been made for Chaney and arrangements are unknown.