Philadelphia’s 94 WIP has a new overnight host. Jon Johnson, who has been a fill-in host and contributor to Angelo Cataldi and the Morning Team, will step into the overnight shift long held by the late Big Daddy Graham.
According to the Philadelphia Inquirer‘s Rob Tornoe, Johnson’s first show will be Thursday, broadcasting from 2 a.m. to 5:40 a.m. ET.
Johnson has been a utility man for WIP since joining the station in 2005. As Crossing Broad’s Kevin Kinkead points out, he’s filled a variety of roles including producer, update anchor, hosting nights and weekends (including overnights), and filling in for Cataldi on Wednesdays.
In a tweet announcing the move, Johnson said that he’ll still contribute to WIP’s morning show. And why not? He’ll already be in studio, finishing up just before the morning show begins, right?
But Johnson also said that he intends to be at Wells Fargo Center to cover the Sixers and Citizens Bank Park to follow the Phillies. Presumably, that means he’ll go right to the radio station shortly after finishing up game coverage. That immediacy could bring some juice to his overnight show, sharing his observations and reporting soon after being on the scene.
Taking over the overnight shift means pulling up to a big mic. Big Daddy Graham (Edward Gudonis) hosted that show for more than 20 years. (He passed away last September at the age of 68.) That’s obviously a long time to form the special bond that can develop with an audience up late and looking to chat — about sports or other subjects — when most people are sleeping.
“I plan on bringing my own unique points and style to keep third shifters and night owls entertained into the morning hours,” Johnson told Tornoe.
Tornoe points out that Johnson has a wide range of cultural interests, especially in movies, that should help his appeal with listeners and give him something to push through nights when there aren’t many sports, topics have been talked out, and the audience is smaller. Sal Licata mentioned those challenges recently in taking over WFAN’s overnight shift.
As with Licata, a regular, full-time gig for Johnson brings some stability and a reward for years of doing several different jobs and helping out wherever needed. That new path begins for him on Thursday.
Ian Casselberry is a sports media columnist for BSM. He has previously written and edited for Awful Announcing, The Comeback, Sports Illustrated, Yahoo Sports, MLive, Bleacher Report, and SB Nation. You can find him on Twitter @iancass or reach him by email at iancass@gmail.com.
