Longtime WCBS 880 business reporter and host Joe Connolly is joining 77 WABC to host a series of one-minute features for the Red Apple Media station.
Business Success Stories with Joe Connolly will air on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, with Connolly featuring interviews with local business owners to detail what has led to their success.
“Joe is the best business news reporter in New York and a highly trusted source for business intelligence,” said 77 WABC and Red Apple Media owner John Catsimatidis. “In the midst of questions about the economy and where it’s going, Joe will find success stories that inspire others. New York radio listeners, especially those who own or run businesses, will benefit from these uplifting interviews.”
During his tenure at WCBS, Joe Connolly interviewed thousands of business owners, including the hosts of Shark Tank like Mark Cuban and Barbara Corcoran.
Connolly told Barrett Media he couldn’t be more excited to join 77 WABC for this opportunity.
“My excitement level is DEF CON Five or whatever it is,” he joked. “The energy is just so high here. But people are really nice and very friendly. I’m really looking forward to getting back into locally-owned radio. I think that the key to the future of radio is a large part the fact that it’s locally owned. That’s how it was when I started out in radio many years ago. They were usually locally owned stations, because the local owner cares about their community, and this is local ownership at a whole new level. All of the things that they’re doing, they’re really — I hope, I think, — helping a lot of radio stations learn how to thrive again through new ways.”
Joe Connolly — who said his features will spotlight unique New York businesses from nearly every sector from restaurants to services like lawyers and accountants — shared that telling the stories of the Big Apple’s business leaders continues to fuel him into this new endeavor.
“There are a million stories. New York is people of all ages, all ethnicities, all experiences, all backgrounds,” Connolly said. “It’s endless. And they love talking about their business. Business owners love — this was part of the reason for my success so far on this — business owners love talking about their business and hearing other business owners talk about their business.”
He continued by noting that business news is similar to another strong radio format.
“When I first started to cover business news, I realized covering business news was like talking almost like a sports station. Because on the sports talk stations, people talk about endless scenarios. ‘What if we trade this and do this? And what if someone does that?’ And the business people talk about, ‘What if you tried this, and what if you tried that? What if interest rates come down, and what if interest rates go up?’ It’s very dynamic,” Connolly admitted. “It is very much like sports talk in the business world.”
And while he’s excited to join 77 WABC, the station is equally as thrilled to welcome his new reports.
“Joe is the most popular business news reporter on New York radio and is credited with changing the way business news is reported,” noted Red Apple Media and 77 WABC President Chad Lopez. “Joe’s ability to distill sometimes complex business issues into short-form reports connects with listeners. I am delighted Joe is joining the WABC Radio on-air team, and I know our listeners will be thrilled, as well.”
