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Tom Brown first started producing and presenting dance radio programmes back in 1983 with BBC Radio in London. 'Back then, dance was mainly soul, jazz funkand disco hangovers...but it was clear that dance had the potential to become a mainstream music force, I was totally hooked then, and still am now!'
Tom spent 7 years with the BBC in London, managing up and coming DJs like Pete Tong, Dave Pearce and Giles Peterson. Tom also set up ground breaking transatlantic simulcasts with WBLS and HOT 97 in New York, produced concerts from the Apollo in Harlem. Without doubt, Tom was one of the true pioneers of dance radio development in the UK, pioneering programming strategies that are still widely used today by stations like BBC Radio One and KISS FM.
Tom was a founder member of London's KISS FM, which first went to air on September 1st 1990.
Working closely with UK Radio DJ Dave Pearce, Tom drove KISS FMs ambitious and hugely successful Outside Broadcast promotions programme, putting KISS FM into everywhere from stadium events to shopping centre's! In 1994 Tom masterminded the first ever live broadcast from Ibiza, using 'cutting edge' (at the time) MP3 technology and marine satellite systems, KISS FM broadcast live from Cafe Mambo...once again, ground breaking initiatives that set in place many of the established and credible radio programmes of today.
In 1995, Tom was engaged by BBC Radio One to develop a format for their huge Radio One Roadshow which would attract a 'credible' dance audience. From there the Radio One dance party, presented by now long time partner in crime Dave Pearce, became a Radio One success story of unprecented proportion, regularly attracting audiences of over 25,000 people and appearances by every major DJ on the international circuit.
Tom moved to Sydney in January 2000, after winding up 'Live and Direct Broadcasting' in the UK.
Initially arriving for 'a bloody long holiday' (as he says), Tom saw the massive potential of dance radio in Australia and decided to stay. "Community Radio was the place to go, so I programmed Radio Dex on their final broadcast...I met Jimmy Z who was working for Wild at the time, and the rest is history!"
Tom and Jimmy both work now at Nova 969 in Sydney where they front 11 hours of dance programming between them. Tom presents and produces the midnight to 6am 'RUSH' sequence, featuring dance anthems, European Trance, DJ mixes and exclusive CD previews. "We're building a whole new audience in Sydney... its still a buzz when somebody calls up at 2 am and tells u that the music is totally awesome!"
Australia has got so much potential with dance....existing radio programmers still don't quite understand it, and even the record companies have difficulty, but there is no doubt that dance and DJ culture will be one of the hottest area's in radio and music development in Australia (and Asia) over the next decade.... "It's a real buzz to be in there from the start again!" Tom still travels to Ibiza for 5 months every year, where he manages 'Euphoria' a 5,000 capacity weekly event at Eden in San Antonio fronted by Dave Pearce.
And more recently on Australia Day 2003, he experience a milestone that he would never forget for the rest of his life, as he was owned by the au.ta wigga posse.
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"Burn down the disco, hang the blessed dj, because the music that they constantly play,
it says nothing to me about my life..." The Smiths - 'Panic'
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