Staff

 

Kenneth Forte – General Manager

 

 

 

 

 

   Chris Norman – Operations/News

 

 

 

 

Big Zak/ Host  and Programming Director

Big Zak has been a professional broadcaster for 20 years. His career began in 1991 at ‘Oldies 99′
WKLX in Rochester, New York. Since then, he has worked in Tallahassee, Florida;
as well as the award-winning US101 in Chattanooga, Tennessee. His time spent at
US101 was in the station’s prime. They had won the CMA Station Of The Year
Award for 7 consecutive years. Zak was there for 5 of those years. He generated
some of the highest ratings in the history of the station from 7pm to midnight.
In addition to his ratings success, he also served as US101′s Imaging Director.
While at US101, Zak was simultaneously broadcasting on 102.5 ‘The Bull’ in
Birmingham, Alabama.

Zak and his wife, Susan, moved to Nashville in 2003, where he served as Production
Director as well as Afternoon Drive Host at WSM-FM, where he earned awards for
‘Best Commercial’ and ‘Best Afternoon Drive Show’ with the late David Earl
Hughes.

He then moved to the national stage as morning show host on Sirius Satellite
Radio’s ‘New Country’ (aka ‘The Highway’) channel, where he had an estimated 4
million listeners each week. He also hosted a special show on Saturday evenings
called ‘Beyond The Buzz’, which focused on new music and new artists. ‘Big’
also did a nightly show on Sirius’ Prime Country channel, which focused on
country hits from the 80’s and 90’s.  Zak also conducted countless interviews, many of which he edited into hour-long
special programs.

Zak eventually moved on to serve as Morning Show Producer at the legendary
WSIX/Nashville. He has now found a new home in Dickson, Tennessee at WDKN and
101.5 THE ONE. Zak grew up in a small town that was very similar to Dickson and
he feels right at home, and loves the atmosphere.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dale Turner Host of Your Country Mornings

Dale comes to R & F Communications with 14 years in country music radio including 4 years in Nashville as morning host for WKDA. He’s also worked in Cincinnati, Little Rock, Memphis and San Antonio. After life on the radio Dale spent 14 years in record promotion at RCA Records where he held the title Vice President, National Promotion. He also spent 12 years at Lyric Street Records as the Vice President Radio Marketing.

He’s a graduate of Leadership Music, a former board member for the Country Music Association, Past President, Federation of Country Air Personalities, Past winner of the Gavin Promotion Executive of the Year Award and has served on the agenda committee of the Country Radio Seminar just to name a few of his commplishments.

He is married to Pat, collects antique jukeboxes, loves sports, movies, traveling and currently writing a book about my crazy life (working title “Turner’s Big Radio and Record Adventure)

 

 

   Freeman – On-Air/Production

 

 

 

 

 

  – Swap and Shop Host

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   Amp Harrell – Sports/Sales/Production
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One of Dickson’s own has come back home! Anthony “Amp” Harrell was born in what is now Horizon Medical Center, but took a meandering trip through Middle Tennessee before coming home in 2009 to help restart his beloved hometown radio station. “The Man Called Amp” is in his tenth year in the radio business, with stops at two other radio stations–including his first radio job at the age of sixteen! Harrell spent four years at MTSU, earning his Bachelors, and has called ballgames in Chattanooga; Atlanta; Nashville; Long Beach, CA; Jackson, TN; Memphis; and many other points in between. When he’s not behind the mic, he’s cheering on a host of sports teams including the Preds, Titans, Blue Raiders, Braves, and Memphis Grizzlies. He also has a wide range of interests outside of sports and country music, including a love for the arts, animals, and marketing. He calls Downtown Dickson home, and has only one pet–a teenage Pekingese/Pug that lives with his parents.

 

   Nikki Holland – Sales/Promotions
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Nikki was born and raised in Dickson County. After graduating from DCHS she continued her education at Union University in Jackson, TN where she majored in Communication Arts with a Broadcasting emphasis. She was a member of the Broadcasting Society and won several Departmental Awards for her involvment in the department. Nikki’s relationship with her grandfather fostered her love of all things media. She was mixing his audio and recording him singing by the time she was 14. So, it was only natural that when she got to college she found herself running audio and engineering for the broadcasts of the home basketball games.

As she settled into college life she was offered an opportunity to go to work for WBBJ in Jackson. She learned a lot durring her two and a half years at WBBJ. She had started as a production assistant and by the time she left WBBJ in 2001 she was the Senior Director. Nikki then went to work at FOX17 and was part of the original staff for Mornings On FOX17 with Ralph Emery. She directed the show for nearly six and a half years and even though the show went through several changes over the years Nikki continued to believe in the vision that had been set forth for what is now Tennessee Mornings on FOX17. Nikki left FOX17 in 2007 for bigger adventures that took her to the Virgin Islands where she met her husband.

Nikki is married to Jeremy Holland and they have a wonderfully energetic son, Zach.

 

 

 

Richie G PRODUCER/ON AIR
Rich is originally from Bloomfield NJ and graduated from Baptist Bible School of Theology and was an an assistant and youth Pastor for several years in Whitehall P.A. He was also a golf professional for several years as well. He moved to Charlotte 7 yrs ago and now calls Dickson county and the beautiful state of Tennessee his home.