Gargano gets an a.m. gig
Former WIP host has a show at 97.5 in competition with Cataldi.
Angelo Cataldi may have just celebrated his 25th year with SportsRadio 94.1 WIP, but for the first time the ratings champ faces some significant local morning competition.
Former WIP host Anthony Gargano teamed up with Jon Marks on Monday for the launch of "Anthony Gargano in the Morning," a new show for 97.5 The Fanatic that airs weekdays from 6 to 10 a.m.
"The best part of doing a morning show is the ability to be the first to interact with the most passionate fans in the country," said Gargano, who left WIP in December after a rumored lowball contract offer.
The show, which also featured Maureen Williams doing news updates and the return of Gargano's producer at WIP, Jamie Lynch (known to many listeners as "Silent Bro"), replaced the nationally focused "Mike and Mike" show, which had aired since the station became an ESPN affiliate in 2008. "Mike and Mike" will now air in Philadelphia from 6 to 10 a.m. on 610 AM WTEL.
"We are thrilled to have Anthony join 97.5 The Fanatic," said senior vice president market manager John Fullam. "He is the perfect leadoff man for Philly sports talk every weekday morning."
Fullam also noted that despite the removal of "Mike and Mike," The Fanatic will retain its ESPN affiliation, allowing popular local contributors such as Sal Paolantonio and Ron Jaworski to continue as analysts.
It might be unusual for such a high-profile show to launch with little promotion, but the entire situation has been unique from the start. Everything from Gargano's sudden and high-profile departure from WIP to his surprise appearances on the Mike Missanelli show led to speculation that the popular sports-talk host would land at The Fanatic once his contract with WIP was up.
Having someone of Gargano's popularity presented a unique opportunity for The Fanatic to compete with Cataldi, who has enjoyed a monopoly on local sports coverage nearly his entire time in Philadelphia. Gargano and Marks will be the first local sports competition for Cataldi since Glenn Foley and Michael Bradley cohosted a morning show for then-Sports Radio 950 back in 2007 and early 2008, before the station gained its ESPN affiliation.
No word yet if Gargano's stable of sponsors, which include Primo's Hoagies, Anthony's Coal Fired Pizza, and Mark's Jewelers, will follow his jump over to The Fanatic.
Harry Mayes and Eytan Shander will fill the station's 10 a.m.-to-2 p.m. time slot vacated by Marks' move to the morning. Mayes has been with the station since 2005 and is one of the few remaining members of Sports Radio 950. Shander returned to the station in September after stops at NBC Sports Radio and SiriusXM.
Joe DeCamara rounds out The Fanatic's new schedule, anchoring the 6-to-10 p.m. time slot during the week.