Goodbye, chiles and hello, cheesesteaks!
Rod Lakin is leaving Phoenix to take over as the new brand manager of WIP in Philadelphia. Lakin has spent his entire career with Bonneville’s Arizona Sports 98.7. Now he joins Audacy to lead one of the company’s most iconic sports talk brands.
“I have the deepest respect for the iconic WIP brand and what it means to the most passionate fan base in the country,” Rod Lakin said in a press release. “To have an opportunity to join the talented team at 94WIP is truly an honor, and I want to thank David Yadgaroff, Jeff Sottolano, Spike Eskin and Audacy for their belief in me.”
WIP has been in the market for a new leader since Spike Eskin left the station over the summer to succeed Mark Chernoff at WFAN in New York. A nationwide search for the right person for the job landed on Lakin, who was elevated to program director of Bonneville’s Phoenix sports stations in 2019. Lakin is also a BSM Member and has been an attendee and annual participant at the BSM Summit.
“I’m pleased to welcome Rod Lakin to the WIP team and begin the next chapter for our iconic station,” said David Yadgaroff, Audacy’s Senior Vice President and Market Manager for Philadelphia. “Rod brings a breadth of experience and deep understanding of what works in the sports audio format, which I trust will position WIP for much success as the home for Philadelphia sports fans.”
