Get to know Katy dad and co-host of SUNNY 99.1's morning talk show, Jay Rodriguez. Pictured here with his co-host Dana.
KATY MAGAZINE | June 2018
Ashley Lancaster
In the life of a morning radio talk show host, the day begins before the sun comes up. Katy's Jay Rodriguez is up-and-at'em at 1:30 a.m., and clocking in at the station by 3:00 for "Dana & Jay in the Morning."
Morning Mayhem
By the time most people take their lunch break, Rodriguez is heading out for the day to take care of errands and spend time with his family. Rodriguez and his co-host Dana spin the best hits of the 80's, 90's and today's Top 40, and brighten the day of Houston commuters with light-hearted content and witty banter. For some, the hours may seem difficult, Rodriguez says that his schedule often prevents him from being involved in things like primetime TV and live sporting events, but he still wouldn't trade it for anything in the world.
"I do two hours of preparation; which includes browsing entertainment sites, watching news and catching up on any overnight highlights. Our show begins at 5:00am. Once I’m off-the-air I’ll do production work (commercials, promos, etc.), check emails, go to station meetings, and prep for the next day," he says.
A Lifetime in Radio
It's a schedule he's used to after 25 years in radio. He's worked at Houston's 92.9 KKBQ, 96.5 (KHMX), and 92.1 (KROI), as well as stations in Beaumont and College Station - but his first ever position was at SUNNY as a promotions assistant.
"I only worked promotions for a few years before moving on to production, and finally programming (on-air)," he says. Five years later, Dana and Jay in the Morning is still going strong, and Rodriguez is never happier than when he gets to bring work back home to Katy.
Fun on the Job
"I was able to be at the opening of Katy Mills Mall, LaCenterra at Cinco Ranch, and most recently, Buc-ee's" he says. He also gets to hang out with local celebrities like Holy Batman.
Keeping it Sunny
Working in radio means you have to be ready for anything. During one overnight shift, Rodriguez got a call from a listener claiming to have a parrot that could mimic his voice. ". As much as he tried and tried, he could never get that bird to talk. It just made incoherent bird-noises. To this day, I have no idea if the parrot was just nervous, if that guy was messing with me, or if my speech sounds like various squawks and chirps," says Rodriguez.
Family Life
In 2017, he married the love of his life at The Romack House on 4th Street in Historic Katy. When he's not making you laugh on morning radio, Rodriguez is all about family.
"We all take turns picking family activities. These range from game night at home, watching movies or venturing out. You can often find us at Main Event, Momentum and Glow Zone. My wife and I can also be found browsing all the antique & resale shops in Katy. Vintage Back Roads is one of our favorites."
Days Filled with Laughter
Jay and Julie have four children, three daughters and a son, and one grandson. They also have lots of furbabies - four cats, one dog, and two sugar gliders.
Rodriguez does so well at his job because after all is said and done, he's still a kid at heart. He loves comic books, sports, and most recently, go-karting.
"I truly enjoy everything that I do every day. I love the music we play and the people I work with. There’s nothing like starting every day with laughter, filling listeners in on what everyone is talking about and telling everyone which traffic spots to stay away from," he says.