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Two Morning Shows at Once
Jay Towers hosts a top-rated weekday morning radio show in Detroit on 100.3 WNIC, “Detroit’s Variety 80s 90s and Today.” Impressive enough. But the tireless multi-tasker hosts the top-rated Fox 2 TV morning news show at the same time. Simultaneously. Five days a week.
Drinking seven cups of coffee a day helps. He says a good partnership between iHeartRadio and Fox 2 is also critical. Also key is the radio studio with his co-hosts Allyson Martinek and Chelsea Kivell, who are just steps away from the TV studio. If you don’t spot Jay on the TV set, he’s not on a smoke break or drinking a latte. He’s talking about music, pop culture, the community, and good causes to a devoted radio audience.
“I manage to juggle both by working on the radio show during traffic, weather, and commercial breaks on TV. It’s a lot of running back and forth, but it’s also exciting! People turn on their TV and see me anchoring the news and then hear me on WNIC during their drive to work.”
He got the Fox News gig after a TV crew came to cover a radio promotion Jay was also covering, and the TV reporter was a no-show.
“Since so many FOX 2 reporters had been on my radio show, the station was comfortable handing me an earpiece and asking me to report live. I did it for an hour, then another hour. They asked if I could fill in as they searched for a new feature reporter. Twenty years later, I’m still here! I moved from weekend features to anchoring the morning news full-time in 2014.”
Early Years
Jay knew as a kindergartener that he wanted to be a radio jock. He was on the mic in high school at age 14 at WJRZ in Toms River, New Jersey, while a student at Central Regional High School in nearby Bayville.
When he was just 18, he got a full-time radio show in Atlantic City at WAYV, a Top 40 Station, and then at classic rock “The Boss” 97 WBHX 99.7 FM.
He left the Jersey Shore at age twenty for Grand Rapids, Michigan, to become one of the youngest Program Directors in the country at WMAX, a Hot AC station. The next year, he helped launch 93.1 WDRQ in Detroit while on air in Atlantic City and other markets, including Philadelphia.
Dream Job
He returned to the East Coast for a job at Q 102 in Philadelphia, where he was Music Director and afternoon host at the Top 40 station.
“In ’97, I got my dream job at Q102, a station I grew up listening to. I lived in a part of Jersey where you could hear both Philly and New York stations, so Z100, Q102, WPLJ, and Eagle 106 were all such big influences on me.
Motor City Mojo
“Then, in 1999, Alex Tear from WDRQ in Detroit said, ‘I don’t know what it is about you, but your name really resonates in Detroit research.’ So, I came back to do mornings and have been here ever since.
“After WDRQ, I did talk radio for five years and eventually found my way to the station I’ve always wanted to work for, thanks to Tom Poleman at iHeartMedia. 100.3 WNIC has always felt like the place I was supposed to be.”
Expresses His Inner Geek
Jay’s a space nerd and gets to express it in a TV segment called “Space Minute,” which caught the attention of scientist Neil DeGrasse Tyson when he was in Detroit. Like DeGrasse Tyson, Jay is also a Superman fanatic and the two bonded over that as well.
Superman is not just a passion for Jay. He has created content around the movie that garnered him attention, an Emmy award, and more.
“The 1978 Film ‘Superman the Movie’ was my earliest childhood memory and my favorite,” he says.
His super-fandom of the Man of Steel caught the attention of Director Zack Snyder, who cast him in “Batman v Superman” in 2016 as a Metropolis TV reporter.
In 2018, Jay hosted and produced a TV special on the 40th Anniversary of “Superman the Movie” that received an Emmy Nomination.
Emmy Win
On June 15, 2024, Jay earned an Emmy Award for Light Feature for his special, “Superman Filming Locations: 45 Years Later.” The Fox 2 news piece featured the filming locations in Alberta, Canada, as seen in the movie. Jay has also learned that his likeness will be in a new Superman comic book.
Jay has a connection with the actor he calls “the greatest Superman of all time,” Christopher Reeve, who passed away in 2004 of heart failure after suffering from a spinal cord injury.
“Working with iHeartRadio allows me to co-host the ‘Caped Wonder Superman’ podcast with my friend, historian Jim Bowers, and we’ve done over 50 episodes, talking to actors and crew from the Christopher Reeve ‘Superman films.’ A few years ago, we put together a Christopher Reeve Legacy Reunion in Detroit, which I made a fundraiser and awareness event for the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation. I became close to the foundation after that, and now I try to advocate for them however I can.”
The foundation searches for treatments and cures for paralysis caused by spinal cord injury and other neurological disorders.
“Having two major media platforms lets me give back in so many ways. Being invited to the red carpet for a ‘Superman’ documentary in New York City in September was an honor, especially since it gave me some social media responsibilities for the Reeve Foundation.”
But his advocacy doesn’t stop there.
“Throughout my career,” Jay says, “I’ve been deeply moved by letters and emails from families, especially during the holidays. Many parents of children with serious illnesses shared their stories, and I thought we needed to do something impactful. So, we take kids with life-threatening or life-altering illnesses to Disney World with their families at Christmas with all expenses paid.”
His cause is called Jay’s Juniors.
Jay’s Juniors Celebrates Ten Years
“It’s the most fulfilling part of my job, hands down. I have incredible partners. This year alone, we raised over $400,000 with Jersey Mike’s through a Day and Month of Giving. Jersey Mike’s has been close to my heart because I grew up eating there.
“Altogether, the entire program raised almost $600,000 this year. Kroger, Planet Fitness, and Emagine Theatres are also supporters. Emagine donates a portion of their popcorn sales during the holidays and gives me airtime on their ‘policy trailer’ before every film to promote Jay’s Juniors and our morning radio show on WNIC.”
This will be the tenth year Jay’s Juniors takes kids to Disney World. “I’ve been fortunate to take over 100 families on trips at Christmas time,” he says. The families say Jay’s all about the kids.
Scary Stuff
Jay’s also a horror film fanatic, especially of “Terrifier” films, with villain Art the Clown. Last weekend there were three sold out “Terrifier 3” shows in Detroit and Jay spent the weekend with the moviemakers and fans who raised over $5,000 for Jay’s Juniors. Jay received a prosthetic from the movie as a memento.
On Halloween night, Jay’s hosting an event with Jude Courtney, the actor who plays the protagonist “Mike Myers” in two of the Halloween films. It’s the first time the actor has agreed to a Halloween night live in-person event. They will have autographed masks and a “q and a” session with proceeds to benefit Jay’s Juniors.
He has interviewed countless regular Joes as well as famous folks, and Jay found the tables turned as he was the subject of an interview himself with Martin Short in character as Jiminy Glick.
Radio Roots Run Deep
“I used to pretend to be a DJ in my bedroom, recording on cassette tapes from the time I was six. Today, people can do real shows from their bedrooms and share them with the world through social media and podcasts. My best advice is to master your craft – you have more outlets to do so now than ever before. Radio is one of the best ways to connect with people and create something magical every day.”
Amy Snider is a music features reporter for Barrett Media specializing on stories involving radio professionals working in Adult Contemporary/CHR/Top 40 formats. She brings over twenty-five years of media experience to the outlet. Based in St. Petersburg, FL, Amy works for iHeartMedia and the Total Traffic and Weather Network as an on-air reporter, appearing on dozens of radio stations including 98 Rock, Mix 100.7, 95.3 WDAE, and Newsradio WFLA. She has also reported and anchored in the Tampa market at Fox 13, News Channel 8, WMNF Community Radio and WUSF-FM, the NPR affiliate.
Amy is a music fanatic. She hosted a drive-time rock and roll radio show for 20 years on WMNF-FM and is known as a tastemaker in the music and arts community. She booked, hosted, emceed and promoted a wildly popular weekly live music event in Tampa’s Ybor City featuring original music with performers from all over the world. Her free time is often spent at concerts and music festivals. To get in touch, find her on X @AmySnider4.
