Jesse and Gene
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Jesse and Gene is the morning zoo duo name for Jesse Dylan and Gene Valaitis, who hosted The Jesse and Gene Show, a prominent morning drive time show in the Toronto, Canada radio market during the 1980s and the 1990s.
The show first aired on Q107 in 1987. In July 1989, the show was moved to 680 CFTR where it initially served as an afternoon drive time show until June 1991, when it became the station's new morning show. When CFTR changed its format in June 1993, Jesse and Gene were let go by the station but were shortly picked up by AM 640 later that year. After AM 640 changed its format in October 1995, Jesse and Gene were separated only to be reunited in July 1996 as the returning hosts of Q107's morning show. Less than a year later, Q107 released them in favour of simulcasting The Howard Stern Show, marking the end of their radio careers together.
During their broadcast tenure, they released compilation albums that featured classic skits & prank phone calls from their shows, their last one entitled Jesse and Gene: Greatest Bits.
In 1994, the show received complaints of racism about a skit involving an impersonation of former Canadian Member of Parliament Jag Bhaduria singing songs by The Beatles with altered lyrics about his politically controversial situation in a strong Indian accent. The complaints were sent to the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) who later referred it to the Canadian Broadcast Standards Council. The CBSC later found that "the spot was a parody of a particular politician, and was not abusive or discriminatory toward people of any national or ethnic origin".[1]
Currently, Dylan is the host of a syndicated radio show called The Good Life Show based in Vancouver, British Columbia. Valaitis lives in Los Angeles, California.
Jesse and Gene re-united for a three-night appearance on CFRB from November 11 to 13, 2009, filling in for Ryan Doyle from 7:00 pm to 10:00 pm.
In North York, Toronto, there is a small alley way named after the duo. The alley way, Jesse and Gene Way, runs parallel to Yonge Street from Norton Avenue until Church Avenue.
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