Matthews, Brown take over as owners of WZKR 103.3

By By Lynette Wilson / staff writer
Jan. 31, 2003
The new owners of 103.3 WZKR, Ponytail Broadcasting, had reason to celebrate in their 18th Avenue studio Thursday.
The Federal Communications Commission issued the station's owners, Al Brown and Art Matthews, their license Jan. 22, and the pair signed the final papers to buy the station from its previous owner, Ken Rainey, on Wednesday.
Brown and Matthews worked together on the "Art Collection" at another Meridian station and when its ownership changed, they were fired. The veteran broadcasters own WZKR with four other investors, but daily decisions and operations are theirs, they said.
They say they owe what they are to Meridian and want to "give back."
Like any other business, Brown said, they want to make money. But they say the station is about music and the community.
Matthews opened the Music Emporium on 23rd Avenue in 1973 and passed the business on to his daughter, Aislinn Webb, in July 2001.
Matthews said he listens to his children and his friends and tries to play music "that hasn't been played to death." Brown and Matthews said they eventually plan to "go live" all the time; and develop music programs around country, funk, blues, rock and other genres.
They said they will also continue to sponsor benefit concerts to raise money for charitable causes in the community.