Russell Dowden is an American publisher, media producer, and broadcaster with more than three decades of experience spanning radio, print, and digital media. His career began in 1994 in radio advertising and media sales with MCN Sports selling Play by Play advertising with Austin area high school football coverage, where he developed a foundation in audience development, marketing strategy, and broadcast production.
By the late 1990s, Dowden transitioned into on-air radio, at KFRQ in Weslaco TX on Q94.5 FM where he sold advertising and co-hosted the Friday Drive home with the Mighty Mike Quinn. Later in 1999 he ended up hosting overnight programming under the moniker “The Cosmic Cowboy” at the country radio station Fm 100 KTEX while continuing to build experience in programming and station operations. During this period, he also began exploring alternative media and paranormal research, leading to the co-founding of SETLAB (Studies of Extraterrestrial Life and Answers from Beyond) in 1999. SETLAB.org
The group’s radio program, SETLAB Chat, aired on stations including KMBH 88.1 FM and later reached a broader audience through early internet streaming and syndication.
From 2000 to 2002, Dowden was active as a television producer within Austin’s public access broadcasting community, working alongside a network of independent producers during a formative era for alternative media. During this time, he launched and published The Austin Para Times, an alternative print publication that would later evolve into Weird Magazine. The Austin public access environment served as an early platform for independent broadcasters exploring topics related to geopolitics, media narratives, and emerging global issues prior to the rise of digital streaming and podcasting.
In 2004, Dowden formally launched Weird Magazine, a Texas-based publication focused on paranormal research, alternative culture, and investigative topics. Over the course of its primary run, Weird Magazine published approximately 90 issues and became a recognized voice in independent media. During this period, Dowden also hosted Weird Radio and later The Weird Show, a live-streaming program that featured interviews, call-in segments, and in-studio guests during the early era of internet television.
Following the success of Weird Magazine, Dowden expanded into additional publishing ventures, contributing to and helping produce Infowars Magazine in the early 2010s before launching Rockstar Magazine, which focused on music, entertainment, and pop culture. Through Rockstar Magazine and his radio platforms, he conducted interviews with a wide range of musicians, comedians, and public figures, bridging the gap between alternative media and mainstream entertainment.
Dowden’s interview work across radio, print, and digital platforms includes conversations with a diverse range of figures in entertainment and alternative research, including Cheech & Chong, Elvira (Cassandra Peterson), Alex Jones, members of the band 311, comedians Dave Attell and Katt Williams, as well as researchers and authors such as Stanton Friedman, Giorgio Tsoukalos, David Icke, and Erich von Däniken.
In addition to his work in alternative media and entertainment publishing, Dowden returned back into sports broadcasting and media production, contributing to programs such as The Friday Night Countdown and Coaches Corner, on both 104.9 The Horn FM in Austin & on AM 1300 The Zone, further diversifying his media experience across multiple formats and audiences.
In 2020, Dowden launched Texas Hemp Reporter, a statewide publication focused on the emerging hemp and cannabis industry in Texas.
The publication became a platform for industry news, regulatory coverage, and business development during a critical growth phase for the market. Building on that success, he later introduced Blazed Magazine, a broader lifestyle and culture publication that integrates cannabis, music, sports, and counterculture content while adapting to evolving distribution channels and retail environments.
Dowden has continued to expand into digital media and podcasting with programs such as The Texas Hemp Show and Blazed Weekly News, maintaining a focus on industry trends, policy discussions, and cultural commentary.
His current projects include the development of Texas Game Day News, a sports media platform, and the planned relaunch of Weird Magazine as part of its 25th anniversary revival.
In 2024, Dowden appeared as an interview subject in the documentary Truth vs. Alex Jones, directed by Dan Reed, offering perspective shaped by his decades working in alternative media and public access broadcasting in Austin, Texas.
Throughout his career, Dowden has operated as an independent media entrepreneur, consistently building and managing platforms outside traditional publishing structures. His work reflects a combination of entrepreneurial vision, counter-cultural influence, and a long-standing commitment to covering topics that exist beyond the boundaries of mainstream media.
