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 Jeff Simmons and Erin Clarke, 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

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.

Erin Clarke is a communications professional, former television news reporter, and proud dog mom to her 8-year-old pit mix, Peggy—her constant companion and the inspiration behind her love of all things animals. Together, they call the Bronx home, where you can often find them out exploring parks and neighborhood streets.

Erin brings more than a decade of storytelling experience to Animal Matters on WBAI. Before transitioning into communications, she spent 12 years as a TV news reporter, including at the NBC affiliate in Pittsburgh and as the Bronx reporter for NY1. These days, she’s still focused on telling meaningful stories—just with a special focus on animals, advocacy, and the people who care deeply about them.

She’s a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh and Syracuse University, and stays actively involved in her community as a board member of the Kingsbridge Heights Community Center and the Van Cortlandt Park Alliance. She’s also a member of Eta Omega Omega, the Bronx chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.

For Erin, Animal Matters is a natural extension of both her professional background and her personal passion: shining a light on issues that matter and giving a voice to those who can’t speak for themselves.