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Todd Schnitt

The man known as MJ Kelli, morning show host on 93.3 FLZ, and Todd Schnitt, afternoon drive talk host of the nationally syndicated “Schnitt Show” on Newsradio 970 WFLA, was born in New York City. As a young boy growing up in that area in the early 1970s, he credits the legendary MusicRadio-77 WABC for his developing interest in broadcasting.  

When he was 10, he and his family moved to Virginia Beach, Virginia.  In 1982, at the age of 16, he scored his first part-time job and went on to work at various stations in the Hampton Roads area while in high school. After graduation, he attended Ithaca College in New York and worked at Cornell’s student-run station.  

Schnitt returned to the Hampton Roads area in 1986 for his first full-time radio job at 97Star WRSR-FM, which soon reverted back to its legendary call letters WGH-FM. The name MJ Kelli, first used at WGH-FM, was created because the 97Star PD was adamant that Todd Schnitt was not a good radio name.  In August 1988, his top-rated evening show moved to cross-town rival and market leader Z104 WNVZ.

In 1989, the legendary Scott Shannon hired him as creative director and assistant PD at LA’s Pirate Radio KQLZ.  After Shannon was fired by Westwood One, the two reunited at the revamping of New York’s WPLJ. From there, in late 1992, he left for Florida to start “The MJ Kelli Morning Show” on Star 95.5 WOVV in West Palm Beach where he was also the program director. Two years later, he was brought to Tampa’s Power Pig WFLZ to co-anchor (with PD BJ Harris) the highly successful “MJ and BJ Morning Show.”  Harris left in early 2001, citing creative differences, and the show was renamed “The MJ Morning Show.”  

In 2001, he launched an afternoon talk show on Miami's WIOD and, the following year, it was added to WFLA's lineup.  “The Schnitt Show,” which reflected his own political views – that of a “fiercely independent conservative with libertarian influence” – aired live from Tampa Bay’s Clear Channel complex featuring news, political commentary, lifestyle and pop-culture with a cynical, comedic skew, a lot of sound bites, and a wide range of parody material.

In January 2012, Schnitt announced that he was bowing out of his WFLZ morning show, saying the move would allow him to focus more on his afternoon syndicated talk show and spend more time with his family. Eight years later, in late September 2020, WRBQ announced that "The MJ Morning Show" would be returning to Tampa Bay radio on Q105 beginning October 5th. 

Station History