Born Ronald Lowenstein in New York City, Ronn Owens was a fixture on San Francisco’s KGO during the station’s long run of ratings dominance.
A graduate of Temple University, Owens made his first money in radio working as a page at ABC Radio in New York. He had hosted programs in Philadelphia, Atlanta, Miami, and Cleveland before joining KGO in 1975, initially holding down the 8 PM to midnight shift.
Owens took over KGO’s midday slot in 1984, won two Marconi Awards as Major Market Personality of the Year, and survived the ouster of the rest of KGO’s local show hosts in 2011. His show continued until 2018, when KGO announced Owens would be heard in a ten-minute daily segment.
That lasted until 2021, when Owens left KGO for good.
He was named to the National Radio Hall of Fame in 2015.