As 94WIP launched an awards series asking listeners to vote on a variety of sports topics from the last two decades, they came up with the perfect name for the campaign. ‘The Levis,’ an ode to famed WIP caller Darren “Levi” Cephas, who died in 2018 at the age of 56.
Joining the station at least once a day, and sometimes more, for about a quarter-century, Levi was not just a listener and a caller, he was part of WIP. The foundation of sports in the city of Philadelphia is their fanbase and that resonates true with 94WIP. Entercom might pay WIP’s bills, but this is Philadelphia’s radio station.
Program director and legacy WIP personality Spike Eskin penned an article on their website explaining the decision to name the award series The Levis, detailing Cephas’ importance to the station.
“When we were thinking about what to name the 94WIP Awards (the way the Academy Award is an Oscar), “The Levi” just seemed perfect,” Eskin wrote. “The magic of 94WIP is not just the people inside the station, it’s the listeners that turn our radio station into a true community. We are not just the voice of the Philadelphia sports fan because those of us who work here are fans, but because we actually give a voice to fans.”
Voters can click here to see the full list of nominations for The Levis.
Some hosts get thrown off by fan interjection, but many are great at using callers to enhance the show’s entertainment value and community. There were times Levi was a nuisance to hosts on both WIP and The Fanatic, but he undoubtedly represented Eagles fans and their city.
WIP is one of the top sports radio station’s in the country, and making callers part of their foundation helped to establish themselves as a heritage brand in Philadelphia. It’s why WIP decided to name their awards series after Levi. When I started listening to WFAN as an elementary school kid in the ‘90s, the first three names and personalities I learned were Mike Francesa, Mad Dog, and Jerome from Manhattan.
