Matt Nahigian was named PD of SportsTalk 950 in Philadelphia in May 2007. Since then, he’s led the radio station to a decade of solid growth and success. But despite a great run, Nahigian’s time as The Fanatic’s head of programming has come to an end.
Under Nahigian’s watch, sports radio programs on 950AM moved to the FM dial, changing the radio station’s position to 97.5 The Fanatic. Top local stars such as Mike Missanelli and Anthony Gargano signed on to host shows on the station, and the 76ers and Flyers moved their games over after previously airing on local market competitor Sports Radio 94WIP.
The moves paid dividends as The Fanatic began battling WIP for local ratings bragging rights. In fact, The Fanatic’s success was strong enough to earn recognition from the National Association of Broadcasters, receiving a nomination for the 2017 Marconi Awards.
Why Nahigian is no longer in charge of The Fanatic’s programming department isn’t clear but the radio station now has big shoes to fill. The one positive for the next PD is that they’ll inherit a strong brand with top talent in a passionate sports city. That’s a testament to what Nahigian assembled over the past ten years.
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.
