Sports Radio News

94WIP Posts Strong Ratings Even Without Sports

“94WIP foreshadowed a strong spring book as they closed out the winter ratings period with a 7% jump in the final two weeks, which occurred after sports were shut down.”

Published

3 years ago

July 10, 2020

Brandon Contes

No sports, no problem for Philadelphia’s 94WIP. Without the support of live games, WIP’s year-over-year number in the spring book was exactly the same as 2019, again posting a strong 8.8 with their target demo of men 25-54.

94WIP foreshadowed a strong spring book as they closed out the winter ratings period with a 7% jump in the final two weeks, which occurred after sports were shut down. Without sports and with less people in their cars, it was reasonable to expect a drop in listenership, but during those two weeks Philly’s audience showed they were willing to stick with WIP and that loyalty continued into the spring book.

Beginning with their morning show featuring the iconic Angelo Cataldi, WIP finished second overall with a 12.9. The morning show was down two points from the winter book, but up three full shares year-over-year. Cataldi’s morning show doubled its sports radio competition on 97.5 The Fanatic, but a share in the 6’s is still a respectable number from Marc Farzetta.

WIP’s midday show featuring Joe DeCamara and Jon Ritchie finished the spring book in third with a 7.6, while Anthony Gargano earned a 4.5 share (ninth place) for The Fanatic.

In afternoon drive, Jon Marks and Ike Reese turned in a strong performance, finishing third in the sports-less spring book with a 7.8, a drop of just over a point from 2019. Their afternoon rival on The Fanatic The Mike Missanelli Show saw a more significant decline this book, earning a 5.4 share. Missanelli was down more than three full points from the winter book and year-over-year.

In the evening window, WIP’s Joe Giglio continued to post strong numbers, finishing second in the market with an 8.4, crushing The Fanatic which earned a 2.4.

Throughout the spring, WIP thought up several long-form topics, such as ‘best WIP arguments of the decade,’ which could be cross-promoted and discussed from show-to-show for the duration of a week.

Brandon Contes

Brandon Contes is a former reporter for BSM, now working for Awful Announcing. You can find him on Twitter @BrandonContes or reach him by email at [email protected].

Up Next

Former Bronco Nate Jackson Joins 104.3 The Fan In Denver

Don't Miss

Mad Dog Not Optimistic About New ESPN Radio Morning Show

Sports Radio News

Mad Dog: Gus Johnson ‘Bothered The Hell Out of Me’ Saturday

“For crying out loud, Michigan/Ohio State isn’t even better than North Carolina/Duke, who play twice a year. So let’s be careful with the hype machine.”

Published

4 hours ago

November 28, 2023

BSM Staff

(Photo: SiriusXM)

FOX Sports college football voice Gus Johnson has made no bones about his affinity for Ohio State wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. However, Chris “Mad Dog” Russo has heard enough.

During his Mad Dog Unleashed program on SiriusXM, Russo shared that not only was Johnson obnoxious for the constant use of a nickname he bestowed up Harrison, but he was also misguided for calling Ohio State/Michigan the greatest rivalry in sports.

“Gus Johnson — the hype machine that he is — please, when you broadcast a ballgame, I don’t need to hear about Maserati Marv, number one. And number two, that’s not the greatest rivalry in sports history. Have you heard of the Yankees and the Red Sox? Giants and the Dodgers? How about Bears/Packers? Have you heard about that?

“For crying out loud, Michigan/Ohio State isn’t even better than North Carolina/Duke, who play twice a year. So let’s be careful with the hype machine. That bothered the hell out of me.”

When a caller pushed back on Russo’s opinion on the Michigan/Ohio State rivalry, he continued by saying “That rivalry’s not Yankees/Red Sox. To compare college football to the Yankees and the Red Sox is ludicrous.”

BSM Staff

Sports Radio News

Nashville Predators Radio Voice Pete Weber Calling 2,000th Game Tuesday

“I always wanted to be there for the birth of a team. I feel like I’ve been a pretty fair midwife here.”

Published

4 hours ago

November 28, 2023

BSM Staff

(Photo: Nashville Predators)

Nashville Predators radio voice Pete Weber is set to hit a career milestone Tuesday, as he’ll call his 2,000th game for the NHL franchise.

Weber told The Tennessean that he has relished the opportunity to be the voice of a team since its inception. He claimed he applied for and was a finalist for the radio play-by-play job when the Carolina Panthers were conceived, before ultimately landing with the Predators.

“I always wanted to be there for the birth of a team,” said Weber. “I feel like I’ve been a pretty fair midwife here.”

Despite missing time late last season due to a rare brain condition, Weber said he has no plans of retiring anytime soon.

“I have not thought about it, other than when I thought about how (former Philadelphia Phillies announcer) Harry Kalas was carried dead out of the broadcast booth in Washington,” Pete Weber said. “I thought, ‘Well, that’s an interesting way to go. I don’t necessarily know that I want to do it like that. But it could happen. I’m not going to say no.”

Weber’s 2,000th game will come as the Nashville Predators play host to the Pittsburgh Penguins. 102.5 The Game is the flagship home of the Predators Radio Network.

BSM Staff

Sports Radio News

iHeartMedia Ending WEEI Simulcast in Cape Cod

A job opening for a sports talk co-host/producer/programming assistant that says its salary will “be funded by the savings that the market is acquiring from the expiring Audacy/WEEI & Red Sox contracts”.

Published

5 hours ago

November 28, 2023

BSM Staff

iHeartMedia is preparing to drop its simulcast of WEEI on its 96.3 WEII-FM signal in Hyannis/Cape Cod.

According to a report from Radio Insight, iHeartMedia has posted a job opening for a sports talk co-host/producer/programming assistant that says its salary will “be funded by the savings that the market is acquiring from the expiring Audacy/WEEI & Red Sox contracts”.

It goes on to state that the contract between the company and Audacy was $300,000 annually and it paid the Red Sox $65,000 annually.

The job posting alleges 96.3 FM will continue to carry sports programming with a local show.

WEEI is currently simulcast on stations in Springfield and Worcester, MA; Providence; Portland, Maine; and on stations in New Hampshire and Vermont, as well. Earlier this year, the station’s offices in Warwick, Rhode Island closed as part of a cost-cutting measure.

WEII-FM is licensed to Dennis, MA and features a 25,000-watt Class B signal.

BSM Staff