Fox 29 bets on Quincy Harris to jumpstart daytime lineup

The set of The Q, Fox 29's (WTXF-TV) new daytime talk show, is spacious, airy, and quiet as host and producer Quincy Harris, 37, stands in the center. His name scrolls in the background. It's the realization of a dream he's had since he was 12 growing up in Germantown.

"It feels surreal," Harris said, looking across the set. "You see your name and it's like, 'What is going on?' "

The Q is what's going on. The show that bears his first initial premieres at noon Monday. The former Good Day Philadelphia correspondent will talk to locals and celebrities alike. Look out for celebrities such as DJ Jazzy Jeff, the Roots' Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson, and Tariq "Black Thought" Trotter during the premiere week.

The Q follows a national trend in which networks are using in-house talent for daytime slots instead of banking on big names like Katie Couric, Queen Latifah, and Meredith Vieira, all of whom hosted talks shows that were canceled.

Why is Fox 29 betting on Harris? He's energetic and likable. In person, he's bubbly and upbeat.

That personality has allowed him to forge relationships with others in the industry and celebrities like Kevin Hart - whom Harris knew from his days at South Street's now-shuttered Laff House comedy club - and DJ Drama, who has known Harris since the superstar DJ's days at Masterman. Both celebrities posted messages of support on Harris' Facebook page.

As his former Good Day Philadelphia colleague Jennaphr Frederick says, "When he calls the Roots, they answer the phone."

Born in Germantown, Harris grew up watching Arsenio Hall and Johnny Carson. He liked Carson but it was Hall who interviewed celebrities Harris cared about. He remembers thinking at 12, "Whatever that is, I want to do that."

He got his first job in radio at Power 99 (98.9 FM) when he was a sophomore communications major at Temple University in 1997. It wasn't glamorous. He answered phones, fetched beverages, and spent the night at the station learning how to the run the board, leading to his first on-air gig on Power 99's The Come Up Show in 2000, where he was known as Q-Deezy.

"Q-Deezy reminded me a lot of me," said Colby Colb, a former Power 99 on-air host who is now vice president of programming at Radio One. "He stood out because he had all this amazing energy and he wanted to understand how the industry worked. He wanted to win and he wanted to be a champion."

After a stint in Los Angeles, Harris returned to Philadelphia, where he hosted a show on the now-defunct Hot 107.9 before booking an on-air gig on Good Day Philadelphia in January 2014. He made the official switch to television in May 2014, and has since gained a following. The Q producer Thomas Louden says the audience slots are already filled until November.

Harris and Louden say their goal is to eventually expand out of the Philadelphia market, similar to The Oprah Winfrey Show, which started as a regional talk show in Chicago before becoming a national juggernaut.

That's a big goal, but Harris has a history of hustle. "Really, Quincy is the Philadelphia story," said Colb. "We were not given anything and anything we have, we had to work hard for."

Colb says he isn't at all surprised by Harris' trajectory. His contagious energy grabs people, and he remains genuine despite his success, Colb said.

"When I started, I was single guy on the radio with braids. Now I'm bald with two kids. I want people to feel like this is their show," said Harris. "I want you to feel a break from monotony, I want you to smile and to feel that this is a hometown boy that's grown up."