610 WIP

[BBTV]

I actually remember when Tony Bruno was the morning show on WIP, and I used to really like Jody Mac (especially the Mac + Mac Midday show.)

I'm not sure that he can compete with Eskin, though, and I really don't think there is any market for a national Jim Rome show in Philadelphia, especially competing against Cuz and Misanelli (who is probably my favorite on-air personality right now.)

IMO the morning show has become way to much of a circus, and even though I love Al Morganti, I think that Cataldi has become too much of a clown. I'm looking forward to giving Bruno a chance.

Hey - I'll need something new to listen to in the morning anyway come December when Howard is off the air.

WIP vs. WPEN: Competitive sports talk?

Tony Bruno vs. Angelo Cataldi.

Jody McDonald vs. Howard Eskin.

Jim Rome vs. Cuz and Mike

WIP 610 (and its stable of former Inquirer sports writers) has had its way in the market for a long time. Will that change with last week's announcement that Greater Media Inc. will convert WPEN (950-AM) from oldies to sports talk on Oct. 3?

WPEN is bringing back Philly boys Tony Bruno and Jody McDonald. Bruno will go head-to-head against Angelo Cataldi and his morning team, and Jody Mac will take on Howard Eskin in the afternoon drive (3 p.m.- 7 p.m.)

WPEN also announced last week that it will air Jim Rome's nationally syndicated show from noon to 3 p.m.

McDonald most recently was at WFAN in New York and just launched a satellite radio show from noon to 3 p.m. on Sirius.

Here is the lastest release from WPEN, which came out today at 5 p.m.

Philadelphia, PA: Greater Media Philadelphia is pleased to announce legendary sports personality Tony Bruno has been recruited to do mornings at the new Sports Talk 950. He will officially take over the radio airwaves weekday mornings from 9am - 12noon beginning on October 3rd, 2005.

Bruno has been called "possibly the best sports talk show host in America" by the Los Angeles Times. His career started at the age of 17 at WIFI in Philadelphia and a year later was working at the legendary pop station WFIL. Thirty-five years later, he has achieved what most sports broadcasters can only dream about.

Tony launched Sports Radio WIP as well as two networks - the ESPN Radio Network in 1992 from Bristol, Connecticut and eight years later launched FOX Sports Radio in Los Angeles.

"We are thrilled Tony has decided to join our team. He is the perfect player to kick off weekday mornings on Sports Talk 950. I cannot think of a better choice than Tony to give Philly sports fans the latest news and views they want to know about," said Station Manager Bob Deblois.

The new interview-based, sports/talk oriented format will provide listeners with a new choice to hear the very best sports variety; facts,

information and talk in Philadelphia.

"Wow! Philadelphia is my hometown, and it'll be great for my family, friends and supporters to get to hear how the local kid made good with the kind of sports talk they're not used to getting. I live and breathe Philly sports and am proud all the hard work has led this to finally becoming a reality, "said Bruno.

He added, "I'm back on Philly radio and on a legendary station like 950 WPEN. I know this much, no one knows how the fans think, tick and breathe better than me. It's the best sports town in America and now I get the chance to show them how great sports talk radio really sounds."

WPEN is owned and operated by Greater Media Philadelphia, a subsidiary of Greater Media, Inc., the parent company of 19 AM and FM radio stations in the Boston, Detroit, New Jersey and Philadelphia markets. It also owns a modern printing plant and a group of weekly newspapers in central New Jersey as well as several telecommunications towers located throughout the United States.

For more information, please contact Heidi Raphael, Director of

Corporate Communications at 248-591-6864 or

hraphael@greatermediadetroit.com.

There is another choice now. Will you listen?

[thejroll]

The only radio station I listen to is WIP, so needless to say I won't be switcing the dial anytime soon.

[tp49]

Didn't realize Jody Mac wound up back at WIP after he left WFAN. Guess I"m way out of the loop out here.

[NoHoJoe]

I can barely pick up 610 WIP in the Northern NYC Burbs, but I can pick up WPEN easily at night. Will it become ESPN Radio 950?

[VitaminD]

I can barely pick up 610 WIP in the Northern NYC Burbs, but I can pick up WPEN easily at night. Will it become ESPN Radio 950?

That's very interesting, because the Phillies went off WCAU [1210] and went to WPEN for 2 seasons, and people in Philadelphia had a hard time getting the games.

This'll be interesting to see play out. I'm with BBTV - I just can't stomach Angelo anymore. I met him at a Career Day when I was in 8th grade, when he was the Flyers' beat writer at the Inquirer, and before he became a boorish Howard Stern wannabe with less charisma. (Have you seen the Wingettes in person that he drools over on the air? Uh, Ange... we can see them when they're in person, C-section scars, cellulite and all.) Other than Cuz & Mike (so glad he's back on the air... WMMR was never where he belonged, but I like him), I can't listen to the others.

AC has an ESPN station, but I don't know if ESPN wants to take on WIP head-to-head just yet. But WPEN is bringing in some of my old favorites - Jody Mac and Bruno. Less nonsense. Now if they could get Morganti and Jonesy to switch too.

Either way, there is nothing more frustrating than living in the #4 radio market in the country and finding NOTHING to listen to on the radio. Thank God for car CD players.

[VandyDelphia Mike]

I knew it was only a matter of time before my two main message board obsessions would collide.

Most of my non-Creamer-related board reading and posting pertains to Philadelphia radio, and to a lesser extent, radio in other cities, sports talk radio, and TV nationwide.

As a sports junkie in the Philadelphia suburbs, I've always felt there were plenty of sports talk options, even before the Trenton station at 920 took on ESPN. One could always pull in WFAN from NYC day and night, if you wanted to hear sports and didn't like what WIP was dishing out.

You get your share of people unsatisfied with WIP, saying that the stray from sports too often. The point's valid, but the justification is that you have to do what you do to maintain ratings. So if WIP is really just a talk station aimed at guy listeners that just uses sports as the carrot to draw those lucrative young males that advertisers drool over, so be it. All it means is that you'll maybe get more of G. Cobb rehashing his "all-ugly" team, Howard Eskin feeling the need to spout of a liberal agenda, and Angelo Cataldi running a morning show that is probably most listenable when he isn't there. Oh - as long as you praise the Eagles and bash the Phillies, then you're free to state your opinions. Otherwise, prepare to be shot down.

Anyway - the description above of the current state of WIP explains the shift for 950 for a couple of reasons. They provide alternatives to the WIP programming. They also go after a lucrative demographic that is easier to sell to advertisers than their former formats of oldies and nostalgia. Potentially, they can give coverage to sports that WIP will most times overlook (aka anything that's not the Eagles for the most part).

Tony Bruno used to be a part of the WIP morning team, way back when I was in high school. He was the radio professional of the crew, while Angelo and Al Morganti were still learning the radio ropes while transitioning from being newspaper reporters, and Joe Conklin was there to do comedy and voice impersonations (wonder if he'll resurface on this 950 rebranding?).

Jim Rome ... conventional wisdom would see him as being a bust in Philadelphia. Is any place less west-coast than Philly, and is any host more west-coast than Rome? That, and he's not even at his prime as far as being a notable sports commentator. He may have already peaked. Some will place the reason for that as his core audience of listeners deciding to get jobs and move out of their parents' basements.

Jody Mac I welcome hearing more of. I've been a fan of his ever since he was doing weekend overnight shifts at WFAN. Then he landed the midday gig at WIP. Then he went back to WFAN to do middays. Then WFAN dumped him, he got the job at Sirius, and there would be the occasional fill-in shift he'd do at WIP, and even host the Eagle pre-game show at WYSP while still holding down the WFAN gig. I never have had the pleasure of listening to Jody on Sirius, since I don't subscribe, but I hear he does a show with Kenny "The Jet" Smith, of TNT basketball analysis fame. I suppose that all ends with him returning to terrestrial radio at WPEN.

Bottom line? There are a few of you Philly heads that have stuck with this message for this long. WPEN can probably make it for a while, filling in the rest of their schedule with talk shows from Fox Sports or Sporting News or ESPN. Maybe they can pick up some play-by-play that doesn't involve Philly teams, just so those broadcasts have a home in Philadelphia. If it isn't NFL, WIP generally doesn't do that. It gives more options to the sports radio listener.

WIP will prevail. I don't see a battle. I also don't see the two stations cooperating. But there's no battle.

[VandyDelphia Mike]

So, the format changed today ... and at the risk of continuing a topic that no one outside of the Philadelphia area could comment or even care about, here's some thoughts ...

- Can they utilize Jody Mac enough? He pre-records interviews. He takes calls. He voices promos. He might even be mopping the studio floors, for all we know. It's like the early days of Comcast SportsNet, where it felt like Michael Barkaan hosted EVERYthing on that network. Come to think of it, it feels like he still does.

- Joe Conklin's getting to do his bits and impressions on a sports format again. It's neat to hear ... but I can see the schtick getting tired as the novelty of not hearing Joe in a while fades away.

- If St. Joe's is on this new station, does this mean that Martelli won't be calling into WIP to predict Eagle games anymore?

They have work to do before they can seriously even think of challenging WIP. Today was only day 1, so the jury is still out, I suppose. And you know you have room to improve if your station is interviewing B-list CN8 sports host Lou Tilley at the same time your competition is interviewing Donovan McNabb.

[BBTV]

So, the format changed today ... and at the risk of continuing a topic that no one outside of the Philadelphia area could comment or even care about, here's some thoughts ...

- Can they utilize Jody Mac enough? He pre-records interviews. He takes calls. He voices promos. He might even be mopping the studio floors, for all we know. It's like the early days of Comcast SportsNet, where it felt like Michael Barkaan hosted EVERYthing on that network. Come to think of it, it feels like he still does.

- Joe Conklin's getting to do his bits and impressions on a sports format again. It's neat to hear ... but I can see the schtick getting tired as the novelty of not hearing Joe in a while fades away.

- If St. Joe's is on this new station, does this mean that Martelli won't be calling into WIP to predict Eagle games anymore?

They have work to do before they can seriously even think of challenging WIP. Today was only day 1, so the jury is still out, I suppose. And you know you have room to improve if your station is interviewing B-list CN8 sports host Lou Tilley at the same time your competition is interviewing Donovan McNabb.

I generally listen on my way to and from work, but I didn't go to work today (called out 'sick' to do school work) so I missed the debut.

One thing about Jody Mac - I used to love him in the early afternoons, but as for being the 'main guy', he is just too much a 'radio guy' and not in tune enough with what is actually happening. Say what you want about Howard, but he knows everything that is happening, has great sources, is in the locker rooms talking to the players and getting the scoops, bottom line: he does more homework than anyone on the air.