In front of him sits a coffee, his notes, a microphone, and a ring light. He spent the morning browsing TMZ and other celebrity gossip sites, gearing up for the moment the clock strikes 10—when he goes live. His staff member, also his co-host for the day, reaches up to hit the start button, and a 3-2-1 countdown appears on Matt’s phone. It’s another Friday at Aspire of WNY’s Tech Today Day Hab Program in Tonawanda, New York, and Matt Wolf is on air for another episode of The Matthew Wolf Show.
This week, Matt is appearing live to break down hot topics, including the 50th Saturday Night Live anniversary, the SAG Awards, celebrity birthdays, and the infamous Menendez brothers’ trial.
Matt has been a fan of all things radio for as long as he can remember. He can list off the names of Kiss 98.5 hosts, past and present, and even keeps track of which ones he has and hasn’t written letters to. His passion runs deep. “When I was four years old and my mom turned on the radio in the car, I felt the excitement flow through my veins even then,” Matt shares with a reminiscent smile.
For as long as he’s loved radio, Matt has dreamed of becoming a broadcaster himself. He has written letters to radio personalities, and to this day, he regularly chats with one of his idols— a DJ from Miami’s Yummy Hits Radio, who got his start in Buffalo and often gives Matt shout-outs live on air.
Matt once envisioned earning a degree in communications or broadcasting, but school presented challenges. Due to his disability, he found it difficult to keep up with the reading demands he believed would be necessary to complete a degree. More than that, he has faced the stereotypes that often come with having a disability.
“People look at you differently, like you’re not able to do certain things—the typical stereotyping,” he says. But those challenges haven’t stopped him. Every Friday, Matt appears on Facebook Live, hosting The Matthew Wolf Show. “It’s perfect for me,” he says, beaming. “For this, I just have passion, and that’s enough. My drive is what keeps me going, and anyone who knows me would tell you I have the drive to do whatever I want to do.”
Each week, Matt curates a list of trending topics, mostly centered around entertainment and celebrity news. He offers his thoughts, engages with his co-hosts, and keeps his audience entertained. “The world of celebrity gossip never changes,” he chuckles. “There’s always something new, and I love keeping people informed. I’ve always been a big fan of the entertainment industry.”
For now, Matt enjoys streaming on Facebook Live, but he’s eager to take his show to the next level. “The thing about Facebook is that my friends can see it, but not much beyond that. We’re looking into other platforms or maybe even starting a podcast,” he says, his eyes shining with excitement. His ultimate goal? To have The Matthew Wolf Show picked up by major names in the industry one day.
While Matt loves discussing award shows, celebrity scandals, and high-profile court cases, his passion for broadcasting runs deeper. “A lot of people think that individuals with disabilities don’t have opinions about things. When I share mine, I get to be an advocate for other people like me, showing that people with disabilities do have opinions and can do whatever they set their minds to.”
Shelby Fess, Technology Evaluator at Aspire of WNY and Matt’s co-host for the day, echoes this sentiment. “One of the best parts about Matt being on Facebook Live is that he gets to tell the audience, ‘Hey, I’m in a wheelchair, and I’m still awesome, and I have great opinions—and you’re tuning in to hear them.’”
With that, another episode comes to a close. “See you again next Friday for more hot gossip. This is The Matthew Wolf Show, signing off,” Matt says before a staff member reaches out to end the live stream. And just like that, the countdown to next week’s show begins!