Geoff Mosher out at 97.5 The Fanatic, ESPN kills long-running sports show
Mosher had hosted on The Fanatic for three years, and spent years covering the Eagles for Comcast SportsNet and the News Journal.
Geoff Mosher, 97.5 The Fanatic's versatile fill-in host who had been co-hosting the 6 to 9 p.m. timeslot alongside Devon Givens, has left the station. His final shift was Monday night.
Mosher, who has covered sports for 20 years and previously wrote for the News Journal and Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia, announced his decision on Twitter Tuesday morning. Mosher, who joined The Fanatic as an on-air host in 2015, called his three years at the station "an amazing experience."
>> READ MORE: Rob Ellis out at NBC Sports Philadelphia
"I've decided to pursue opportunities that I'm not yet ready to announce but will soon," Mosher wrote on Twitter. "I'll still be actively involved in the Philly sports scene and media. I'll announce more when the time is right."
The Fanatic isn't expected to immediately replace Mosher. Starting Tuesday night, Givens will host the 6 to 9 p.m. shift solo, according to program director Eric Johnson.
Mosher recently launched a new podcast about the Eagles that he's co-hosting with Billy Osborne, a veteran broadcaster and South Jersey sports legend who had a standout career at wide receiver at the University of Pittsburgh. Adam Caplan, a former ESPN NFL Insider, is also a contributor.
It's unclear if Mosher will return to This Week in Pro Football, which he co-hosted last year on The Fanatic alongside Pat Callahan.
Mosher's departure comes as The Fanatic has struggled to keep up with rival 94.1 WIP in the ratings. Outside of afternoon host Mike Missanelli, WIP has outpaced The Fanatic in just about every other daypart (outside of the high ratings it garnered airing Sixers playoff games in April and May).
ESPN’s revamped lineup and more Stephen A. Smith
It looks like SportsCenter isn't dead after all.
After the revamped 6 p.m. SportsCenter, hosted by Sage Steele and Kevin Negandhi, led to a ratings bump, ESPN is re-pairing Cari Champion and David Lloyd together to co-host SportsCenter: Coast to Coast from noon to 1 p.m.
As a result of the move, ESPN is killing its long-running afternoon show SportsNation, which launched in 2009 and is hosted by Champion and LZ Granderson (former co-host and NFL veteran Marcellus Wiley left ESPN back in July to join Fox Sports). Granderson will continue to co-host his daily ESPN LA710 radio show and contribute to other shows on the network.
The additional hour of SportsCenter will also impact ESPN's newest show, High Noon. The show, hosted by Bomani Jones and Pablo Torre, will be reduced from an hour to a half-hour and move to 4 p.m., which will likely lead to a ratings boost.
>> READ MORE: Leslie Gudel spent 19 years on Comcast SportsNet. Now she's selling houses.
SportsNation's final show will air Aug. 24, and ESPN's full new lineup will premiere Sept. 11.
On Monday, ESPNews began airing a new simulcast of Stephen A. Smith's nationally syndicated ESPN Radio show from 1 to 3 p.m. Smith was reportedly unhappy with the placement of his show, with the New York Post's Andrew Marchand reporting that the First Take host was hoping for a bigger platform, such as ESPN or ESPN2.
ESPNews has now basically become the ESPN Radio television network. In addition to Smith's show, the network also airs telecasts of Golic & Wingo, The Dan LeBatard Show and The Will Cain Show.
Sean Brace teaming up with Real 106.1
Former Fanatic host Sean Brace is returning to radio, but he's landing in an unexpected spot.
Brace and his website, PhillyInfluencer.com, are partnering with Real 106.1 in a move that includes the former sports talker hosting a music show Saturday nights from 7 p.m. to midnight. His first shift as a disc jockey was Saturday, and featured a heavy dose of Nas, Biggie Smalls and Dr Dre.
"It is my first time DJ'ing on the radio, but I have been DJ'ing for the last 10-plus years at different events around and locations around the area," Brace said. "Music has always been a passion. From hip hop to alternative, I'm a fan of it all."
Brace will also continue his Friday morning appearances on Chio in the AM, hosted by Chio Acosta and Shila Nathan. He'll also continue to host pre-game Eagles parties at Xfinity Live! for the network this season, alongside former Eagles kicker David Akers.
Real 106.1, which launched in June 2017 in a format change from Mix 106.1, plays rap and hip hop from the 90s and 2000s.
Brace was a host on The Fanatic for seven years before he was replaced by Rob Ellis, who now acts as a fill-in host on WIP and was let go by NBC Sports Philadelphia last week. Brace also remains a contributor to FOX 29, where he anchors on the weekends and during the network's Eagles post game coverage.