Off Deadline

Johnjay Van Es co-host of the nationally syndicated Johnjay & Rich Show, joins Off Deadline for a hilarious, heartfelt, and completely unfiltered ride through his 25+ years in radio.

He opens up about:

• The wild Rod Stewart moment that catapulted his career
• How a call to Oprah's dad led to a surprise call from Oprah herself
• Pranking another radio station live on TV with a leaf blower 😅
• His most cringe-worthy on-air disaster...

What do undercover cops, a legal loophole, and one viral headline have in common?

 They all collided in a story that actually changed the law—and Sam Eifling was the reporter who broke it.

In this episode of Off Deadline, the Phoenix New Times Editor-in-Chief shares how a tip about Hawaii police officers legally having sex with sex workers turned into a national news frenzy. From a viral Associated Press headline to live NPR coverage...

How do you interview a grieving parent—or spend a week reporting on child drownings—without breaking down? Emmy-winning journalist Yetta Gibson of Arizona's Family opens up about the emotional toll of storytelling, the interview that changed her life, and the moment she almost walked away.

From covering tragedy to discovering Chef Jeff Henderson’s untold redemption story (before Oprah and Will Smith did!), Yetta share...

Ever been punched by a rock star? Journalist Greg Barr has—backstage, no less. In this episode of Off Deadline, the Phoenix Business Journal Editor-in-Chief shares two of the wildest stories of his career:

🎸 The time a chart-topping artist physically attacked him after a review.
⚖️ A shocking legal case involving a Black attorney defending a Ku Klux Klan leader—for free.

We explore:

• The wild side of music ...

He made her laugh—and she decided to live.

Brad Perry has spent 35 years on morning television, bringing joy to viewers across the country. But behind the upbeat persona is a man who’s weathered real storms—from covering hostage situations to facing the emotional weight of social media.

In this episode of Off Deadline, Brad shares the moment a viewer handed him her suicide note, how he learned to balance humor with heartbreak, and wh...

Russ Wiles has spent 45 years telling the story of business, investing, and Arizona’s economy—including 34 years at The Arizona Republic. In this episode of Off Deadline, Russ joins Melissa DiGianfilippo to talk about why he never left the business beat, how buying his first McDonald’s stock at age 12 sparked a lifelong interest in finance, and what it was like to learn semiconductors on the fly as TSMC reshaped Arizona’s economic ...

Inside the life of the Arizona's Family 3TV reporter —and what really happens behind the scenes.

Jaime Cerreta is more than a familiar face on Arizona’s morning news—she’s a storyteller with deep roots in the Valley and a heart that breaks wide open for her community. In this raw and honest episode of Off Deadline, Jaime joins Melissa DiGianfilippo to talk about the human side of journalism: the emotional weight of br...

Off Deadline host Melissa DiGianfilippo, Founder and CEO of Proof Publicity, creates a rare safe space where top journalists drop their professional guard to share the moments that changed everything—the ethical crossroads that kept them awake, the sources that surprised them, and the victories no one will ever write about. From hilarious disasters to heart-stopping close calls, these intimate conversations reveal the behind-the-sc...