Spike Eskin to return to 94.1 WIP to replace Jon Marks

Once again, there will be two Eskins at 94.1 WIP.

Spike Eskin, the station’s former program director who left in 2021 to run sister station WFAN in New York City, will replace Jon Marks as the cohost of WIP’s afternoon show. Eskin will join former Eagles linebacker Ike Reese and Jack Fritz.

No starting date has been announced.

“I am thrilled to be able to work with Ike and Jack in afternoons at 94 WIP,” Eskin said in a statement. “Leaving WFAN and CBS Sports Radio is an incredibly difficult decision. I’m surrounded by talented, great people, and it’s been an amazing experience.”

Eskin will leave his job as WFAN’s program director. Parent company Audacy said a nationwide search for his replacement is underway. He also cohosts the Rights to Ricky Sanchez podcast about the Sixers with Mike Levin.

It’s not Eskin’s first go at hosting WIP’s drive-time show. In 2015, he was part of a short-lived show that featured Josh Innes and former Eagles defensive tackle Hollis Thomas. Innes and Thomas eventually were fired by Eskin, who also was WIP’s program director — Innes in 2016 after sharing a blackface photograph in response to a fake-caller controversy at 97.5 The Fanatic, and Thomas in 2019 over his refusal to stop appearing on the Green Legion Radio podcast.

In joining the afternoon show, he’ll step into the role once held by his father, longtime WIP sports talker and Eagles sideline reporter Howard Eskin, who is known over the airwaves as “The King.” These days, Eskin appears throughout the week on WIP and hosts a weekly show on Saturday mornings, and he couldn’t be happier about reuniting with his son at the station.

“He’s really earned this show with his success in Philly, New York, and Chicago,” Howard Eskin said. “I’m thrilled that he’s decided to come back home for this opportunity. He will crush it.”

Spike Eskin is taking over for Marks, who left last month after he and the station couldn’t come to terms on a new contract. Marks told Crossing Broad that during contract negotiations, WIP made it clear it wasn’t going to offer him a contract that paid as much as retired morning show host Angelo Cataldi or Howard Eskin.

“After Angelo was gone, they said, ‘Hey we’re not paying people Angelo money anymore; we’re not paying people Howard money, we’re not paying people Anthony Gargano money.’ … They had, ‘This is what we’re willing to offer you,’ ” Marks said, adding, “I knew this was over a year ago. They knew they were only going to go a certain amount, and I knew that wasn’t going to be enough.”

Marks had cohosted with Reese since 2017, when he replaced Chris Carlin, who left to return to New York City. Reese and Marks grew the show’s ratings and easily outpaced 97.5 The Fanatic’s Best Show Ever following Mike Missanelli’s departure from the station.

Marks has yet to announce a new gig, but reemerged on Tuesday on his YouTube channel to talk about Birds’ collapse with a regular caller to WIP’s afternoon show — Herb from the Northeast.