Ken Matthews (radio)

Matthews was born in New Jersey in 1966, and grew up in Florida.[6] He graduated from North Carolina State University in Raleigh, North Carolina with a BA in political science.[7]

During orientation at NC State in August 1980, Matthews visited the campus radio station, WKNC-FM. Within a month, he was hosting an overnight show "spinning classical hits from Bach to Debussy". He then did a jazz show followed by a rock in the morning. He planned to do pre-law and then attend University of North Carolina Law School.[8] Instead he got a BA in Political Science and stayed regularly employed as a radio host.

Matthews did morning contemporary hit radio format in Portland, Maine, oldies format in Cincinnati, and CHR again in Charleston, South Carolina. His "most successful run" was decade and a half at WAEB B104 in Allentown, Pennsylvania. After being asked to leave in 2006, he "explored other options", e.g., teaching, speaking, real estate, marketing, and television while getting active on Facebook and Twitter. This led to his first talk show host position when the programming director from New Jersey 101.5 (WKXW) contacted him with the idea of doing a show based on his Facebook content. He was first asked to fill in for Bob Durgin, who had hosted his own show for 24 years at WHP-AM 580 in Harrisburg, in 2011-2012 — then hired as his full-time replacement in 2013. He considers this his greatest achievement in radio,[8] a thrilling assignment, considering Durgin was "a market legend".[9] "It's a heritage station with a great team, and it's what I enjoy doing."[8]

"We need more great conversation in public," Matthews says about his show. "I like to talk about issues that sometimes make people uncomfortable, but there's a way to talk about any issue that will get people engaged in the conversation and okay with it."[10] Jeff Hurley, Regional Program Manager at Clear Channel Media and Entertainment Harrisburg, considers Matthews "the perfect host to drive political discussion in Central Pennsylvania. He brings energy and excitement that’s infectious to everyone around him."[11]

Matthews considers Glenn Beck, whose "approach to marketing, business, and media" he admires, a major influence.[8]

Matthews radio career "comeback" was profiled by local TV station '69 News' WFMZ in early 2019.[12]

Matthews appeared as a guest on Tucker Carlson's FoxNews TV program just prior the general election in 2020.[13]

Ken Matthews began nationally syndicating his show on December 16, 2021, with Talk Media Network as syndicator. On that date, his show moved three hours earlier to 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. ET, weekdays.[14] WHP 580 in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania is the flagship affiliate of The Ken Matthews Show and airs the program on delay, 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. ET. Matthews gave a preview of his syndication focus in a video interview with Radio Ink.[15]

In Feb. 2022, a radio news website published an article tracking the growth of the syndicated program.[16] FoxNews published coverage of Ken Matthews' commentary from his radio show on April 19, 2022.[17]

• WRFR: Franklin, NC (1981)
• WRAL/WKNC: Raleigh, NC (1983–85)
• WERI: Providence, RI (1985–87)
• WTIC-FM: Hartford, CT (1987)
• WZOU: Boston, MA (1987)
• WWGT: Portland, ME (1987–89)
• WSSX: Charleston, SC (1989)
• WGRR: Cincinnati, OH (1990)
• WAEB-FM: Allentown, PA (1991-2006)
• WKXW: Trenton, NJ (2009–10) fill-in
• WLAN-AM: Lancaster, PA
• WAEB-AM: Allentown, PA weekends
• WPHT: Philadelphia, PA (2013–2021) weekends & fill-in
• WHP: Harrisburg, PA (2013–present)
• List of current affiliate radio stations (syndicated)

Matthews lives with "his wife of 30 years" and two teenaged sons in Pennsylvania. He is a lifetime member of the National Rifle Association, a pistol instructor, and a former volunteer firefighter.[7] As a rotating host on The Rush Limbaugh Show on March 5, 2021, he mentioned that he is of Hungarian and Polish descent.

• Official Website KenMatthews.com
• Radio Syndication Info Talk Media Network