About Tony Q
Tony Quartarone has been largely credited with having implemented the programming that had come to be known as Top Urban Radio when he worked at Kiss 98.7 in New York in an unconventional and gradual manner. He came to this approach by having increased the popularity with recognizable, urban artists. Tony Q slipped the artists’ hits into the Top-40 play list, until the scale was peaked and the demand was created. With a gifted and unique “Ear” for recognizing talent, Tony became known in the industry for identifying potential superstars and was the “go to” in the industry by record executives with new unknown talent for consultation. Tony Q was the FIRST to promote and play now known MEGA~SUPERSTARS such as Madonna, Luther Vandross, Whitney Houston, Run DMC, Cyndi Lauper, all of which resulted in Tony Q receiving over 79 Gold and Platinum record awards. His vision and determination created a very influential genre of music and programming in radio and enabled iconic, unforgettable songs that have become a part of American music history.
Tony Q went on to guide Power 99 FM to its number one position in the Philadelphia market before co-owning his first station in Salisbury/Ocean City MD market where he was general manager, program director, account executive from 1989 to 1997. Then Tony Q was asked to be co-owner of what became Wilmington’s 101.7 Kiss FM, and signed on in 1997, serving Delaware, Chester and South Jersey. Tony continued to serve the community with the Kiss Spring Jam concert series in which Tony Q has hosted annually brings Top 40 acts together for one show; a feat that was previously unheard of in Delaware.
As a thirty-six year veteran in the radio industry, Tony has held every position from Sales to station co-owner. In that time, he has successfully programmed several urban radio stations to be the top-rated in their respective markets. Tony’s years of experience has helped him excel in a multitasking environment, earning him the 2012 Urban Knight Radio Award for outstanding marketing, sales, promotion, and programming, as well as the 2014 Living Legend Award, in addition to 79 Gold and Platinum Records!