Ryan Ermanni just wrapped up his first full year hosting the 2-4 PM slot on WJR 760 in Detroit, and he’s still adjusting to the weight of the call letters he now represents. The longtime Fox 2 personality stepped into the afternoon chair with a mix of excitement and nerves, and a year later, he says that feeling hasn’t fully gone away.
“I still have to pinch myself when I walk into that studio every day and see those iconic WJR call letters,” Ermanni said. “Those call letters matter to me, and they matter to so many people.”
He pointed to the station’s history as a source of daily motivation rather than pressure that weighs him down. Legendary voices have occupied WJR’s airwaves for decades, and Ermanni feels a responsibility to carry that torch forward.
“I think it’s such a responsibility, specifically at that station, with the legends who have come before me and the legends who are still there, to give people the best show you possibly can on a daily basis,” Ermanni said. “I still wonder if I’m worthy of having that opportunity, and that part drives me every single day to give it my best.”
How the Opportunity Came Together
Ermanni’s path to WJR started with a missed phone call. Program Director Ann Thomas reached out, and at first, he didn’t believe the message was legitimate.
“I missed the call. She left a voicemail. I didn’t think it was real,” Ermanni said. “I thought she was putting me on or somebody was pranking me.”
Once he realized the offer was genuine, Ermanni knew he couldn’t turn it down. Beyond the prestige of the WJR name, the role gave him a chance to explore territory he hadn’t covered much throughout his career.
“It was more of an opportunity to do something I really hadn’t done yet: talk about news and politics in a way I never had before. I am so interested in that conversation,” Ermanni said. “I love it. It’s a hobby of mine to consume news and talk about it.”
His background in sports radio also played a role in preparing him for the shift. Ermanni spent time at Detroit Sports 105.1 and Woodward Sports Network before landing at WJR. He credits that experience with sharpening his conversational instincts.
“Having that radio background, where you just talk and have the ability to talk to people, I think is so important,” Ermanni said. “That certainly helped prepare me for this.”
Building a Show Around Common Ground
Ermanni has leaned heavily on his self-described “common man” persona since taking over the afternoon slot, and that identity shapes nearly every decision he makes on air. Listeners across the political spectrum, he says, should feel welcome to call in and share their perspective.
“I certainly wanted it to be a space where everybody is welcome — Republicans, Democrats, conservatives, liberals, independents,” Ermanni said. “I want everybody to feel like their voice matters.”
That philosophy extends to the team around him, too. The WJR afternoon host shared that he views the program as a collaborative effort built alongside producer Beth Ann Long, board op Danielle Mason, and Thomas.
Over the past year, Ermanni has also shifted the show’s format, moving away from a heavier reliance on interviews toward more open discussion segments. Callers now play a bigger role in shaping each episode, and he says that change has helped him gauge public sentiment more effectively.
“I’ve gone to talking about a topic, welcoming people’s thoughts on it, and taking calls to see where the pulse of the people is,” Ermanni said. “That medium of talk radio, I still think, really has a place — an important place — in any conversation happening today.”
Accuracy remains a priority for Ermanni even as opinions fly across the phone lines. He wants his show to be a place where facts come first, opinions come second.
“One of the parts of the show I truly love is getting the story right,” Ermanni said. “Let’s get that story right, and then we can have a conversation about it.”
Looking ahead, Ermanni hopes to expand WJR’s digital footprint significantly. The station recently began streaming on YouTube, and he sees that platform as a way to reach listeners who might otherwise miss live segments entirely.
“I would absolutely love to grow in the digital space,” Ermanni said. “I think it’s almost like free advertising.”
He cited a recent interview with gubernatorial candidate Mike Cox as an example of content that deserves a longer shelf life than a single broadcast window allows. Fans who tuned in late missed the conversation entirely, something Ermanni wants to prevent moving forward.
“I want them to be able to watch it or listen to it however they consume their media,” Ermanni said. “I want to be better at getting that interview out and letting people watch it at a time of their choosing.”
Beyond the format changes and digital ambitions, Ermanni hopes his show can model a more civil kind of political discourse. Recent congressional testimony involving threats against Supreme Court justices left him shaking his head, he says, and reinforced why he values respectful conversation on air.
“I want that mood to gain traction, where we can have a conversation with anybody, be ok, and go have a beer afterward,” Ermanni said.
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Garrett Searight is Barrett Media’s News Editor, which includes writing daily news stories, features, and opinion columns. He joined Barrett Media in 2022 after a decade leading several radio brands in several formats, as well as a 5-year stint working in local television. In addition to his work with Barrett Media, he is a radio and TV play-by-play broadcaster. Reach out to him at Garrett@BarrettMedia.com.