Jay Scott Smith is an award-winning veteran broadcaster, journalist, anchor, and writer with more than 20 years of professional experience. But above all, he is proud to be from Detroit.
From a young age, Jay was captivated by radio and television, imagining there were tiny people inside the “box,” as he called it. One station stood out in his childhood home—WDIV, Channel 4. Whether it was Wheel of Fortune, Jeopardy!, The A-Team, Miami Vice, or Tigers baseball with George Kell and Al Kaline on the mic, Channel 4 was a constant presence. He grew up watching Mort Crim, Carmen Harlan, Bernie Smilovitz, and Chuck Gaidica—and later, Devin Scillian. The station’s iconic slogan, “Go 4 It!” remains etched in his memory.
A proud native of Detroit’s Rosedale Park neighborhood (Schoolcraft & Artesian), Jay is the son of a Detroit Public Schools teacher and a Detroit Police officer. He is a graduate of Renaissance High School—where Carmen Harlan was his commencement speaker—and went on to earn a degree from Michigan State University. He later received his Master’s Degree in Journalism from Wayne State University and also attended the Specs Howard School of Broadcast Arts.
Jay's journey into journalism began in 1996 as part of the Detroit Free Press High School Apprentice Program. He launched his radio career in 2005 at WQHH-FM in Lansing, with subsequent roles at the Detroit News, WDET, MLive.com, and TheGrio (then a division of NBC News). While at TheGrio, he covered major Midwest stories, including Chicago’s struggles with housing discrimination and gun violence, and Detroit’s historic 2012 bankruptcy. During this time, he even made a few cameo appearances on WDIV.
After leaving MLive in 2014, Jay moved east, first to New Jersey, then Philadelphia. At WHYY, Philadelphia’s NPR station, he spent three years covering news and sports, earning the Pennsylvania Associated Press Awards for Best Newscast and Best Sports Feature in 2016 and 2017. In 2019, he joined KYW Newsradio.
In 2021, Jay received two Edward R. Murrow Awards—one for Breaking News coverage of the civil unrest in Philadelphia following the killing of George Floyd, and another for the radio special Witness to Change.
After 18 years in radio, Jay transitioned into television, with roles at WPHL in Philadelphia and WGAL in Lancaster, PA. While in Lancaster, he earned his first two Emmy nominations for coverage of the devastating Baltimore bridge collapse.
Now, Jay Scott Smith has come full circle—back home to Detroit and WDIV, the station that first sparked his love of journalism. He considers it an honor to tell the stories of his city—whether it's a compelling individual, a music artist, athlete, school, or newsmaker.
