With Sports Radio 94WIP down a man following the termination of afternoon host Josh Innes, the station is turning to a number of internal options to help keep the train on the tracks. Hollis Thomas will remain in his co-host position, but handling driving duties during the afternoon will be Marc Farzetta, Jody MacDonald, and John Barchard.
One individual who will also be included in the mix is Howard Eskin. “The King” as he’s been referred to throughout his time in Philadelphia, has been a steady presence on WIP since 1986, and hosted afternoons for 25 years before vacating the timeslot in 2011. Eskin filled in on Tuesday, and could end up doing future fill-in shifts.
It would be surprising if Eskin was brought back to host afternoons on a permanent basis. He currently serves as WIP’s gameday sideline reporter for Eagles games, and appears regularly on the radio station’s shows, in addition to hosting a 2-hour program every Saturday. However, according to Philly.com, the radio station says they’re keeping all options open and aren’t close to making a decision on the future of the afternoon show.
While trying to solve their afternoon show dilemma, WIP has been busy in other areas. The radio station added former Eagles offensive lineman and co-host of Comcast’s Breakfast on Broad, Barrett Brooks, prior to the pre-season. He’ll be involved on the station’s pre-game shows, and fill-in on weekday programs. He’s expected to be part of the afternoon show mix on Wednesday alongside Thomas and Farzetta.
Jason Barrett is the President and Founder of Barrett Media since the company was created in September 2015. Prior to its arrival, JB served as a sports radio programmer, launching brands such as 95.7 The Game in San Francisco, and 101 ESPN in St. Louis. He also spent time programming SportsTalk 950 in Philadelphia, 590 The Fan KFNS in St. Louis, and ESPN 1340/1390 in Poughkeepsie, NY. Jason also worked on-air and behind the scenes in local radio at 101.5 WPDH, WTBQ 1110AM, and WPYX 106.5. He also spent two years on the national stage, producing radio shows for ESPN Radio in Bristol, CT. Among them included the Dan Patrick Show, and GameNight.
You can find JB on Twitter @SportsRadioPD. He’s also reachable by email at Jason@BarrettMedia.com.
