Calling all animal lovers! Animal Matters is WBAI 99.5 FM’s newest show, bringing engaging, insightful, and fun conversations about pets and animals to the airwaves. Hosted by Carol Anne Riddell, Carlos Menchaca, and Jeff Simmons—three devoted dog lovers (who also appreciate cats!)—the show features expert interviews, deep dives into legislation affecting animals, spotlights on nonprofits making a difference, and uplifting pet stories from the news. Listeners are invited to call in and share their thoughts, questions, and personal pet tales. Whether you’re a devoted pet parent, an advocate for animal welfare, or just someone who loves a good animal story, Animal Matters is your place to tune in and talk all things furry, feathered, and finned!

Emails:
Jeff@wbai.org
Carlos@wbai.org
CarolAnne@wbai.org

Carol Anne Riddell is a host and contributing reporter for CUNY TV. In her role, she hosts two half-hour magazine shows, including Arts in the City, which looks at the lively arts, culture, and lifestyle scene in the metropolitan area. She also hosts Book It, a series that explores the world of books from cover to cover, including author interviews, publishing trends, and conversations about reading and literacy. Both programs are part of original programming produced by independent television station CUNY TV, part of the City University of New York, available to 7.3 million households in the New York metropolitan area.

Prior to joining CUNY TV, Riddell served as anchor of WNBC News 4 New York's 6 and 11 p.m. Sunday evening newscasts. At WNBC, Riddell also covered children and education, and launched Family Matters, a weekly segment on family and parenting issues.

Before joining WNBC, Riddell was a reporter, host, and anchor at New York 1 News, where she covered politics, education, investigative and general assignment stories. Riddell has garnered numerous awards, including a Telly Award for Arts in the City; three New York State Broadcasters Association Awards for Outstanding Individual Program/Series Designed for Children, Outstanding Hard News Story, and Outstanding Public Affairs Programming. She also was part of the News 4 New York team honored with an Emmy® Award for the series What Matters. She received a National Award for Education Reporting from the Education Writers Association for her story, Lost Bounty.

She is a past President of the Inner Circle, an organization of journalists that supports local charities, and served as President of the New York Press Club. Riddell graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree from Tufts University and received a Master of Science in Journalism from Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism.

Carlos Menchaca is a longtime champion of progressive causes. He was the first Mexican-American elected official in New York City and Brooklyn’s first openly gay legislator. A strong advocate on immigration, equality and worker rights, Carlos most recently served two terms on the New York City Council, representing diverse Brooklyn neighborhoods of Sunset Park, Red Hook, Greenwood Heights, and portions of Borough Park, Dyker Heights and Windsor Terrace.

During his tenure in the Council, he successfully advocated for measures: granting non-citizens the right to vote in local municipal elections in New York City, strengthening worker protections for delivery-app workers, expanding permits to street vendors, advancing workplace safety with apprenticeship training, punishing predatory landlords, and improving street safety for cyclists and pedestrians. Carlos co-authored the legislation for New York’s first municipal identification card, IDNYC, which serves more than one million registrants.

As Chair of the Committee on Immigration, Carlos led negotiations that funded the nation’s largest public defender program for undocumented immigrants. He supported innovative programs for immigrant day laborers, street vendors, delivery workers and worker cooperatives.

Throughout his life, Carlos Menchaca has fought against gentrification and displacement, stood with tenants to preserve and strengthen their rights, and worked with community-based organizations to address hunger and housing insecurity and ensure all New Yorkers are treated with respect and dignity.

Jeff Simmons has more than four decades of experience in private and public sector communications, media, and journalism. A dog owner for much of his life (though both Brussels Griffons, Bruno and Stella, passed away in 2023), Jeff has always been fascinated by pets and wildlife (and behind the publicity campaign in which dogs were taught Yiddish in Central Park!).

A former journalist, Jeff now works exclusively with nonprofit organizations, supporting their communications efforts and causes. He currently serves as Managing Director of Anat Gerstein, Inc. He previously served in various communications roles for the Downtown Alliance, Office of the New York City Comptroller, and on various political campaigns.

Before that, he spent 17 years as a journalist at New York 1 News, New York Daily News, New York Post, and The (Bergen) Record of Hackensack. His freelance writing has appeared in Hispanic Outlook in Higher Education, Metrosource, The Advocate, and New Jersey Monthly Magazine.