Angelo Cataldi has officially signed off the morning show at 94WIP after a legendary 33 year career.
Cataldi hosted his final morning show Friday, which featured several farewell tributes from former colleagues, former Philadelphia sports figures, politicians, as well as longtime listeners and callers.
In true Angelo Cataldi fashion, he took the first portion of his final segment to allow a phone caller to criticize now former Philadelphia Eagles defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon, calling him a “horse’s ass”.
He then thanked many of the people who welcomed his show to Philadelphia sports radio, including Howard Eskin and Steve Fredericks who he claimed “taught people in Philadelphia what sports talk radio was”.
Thanks were then given to former WIP morning host Tom Brookshier for partnering with Cataldi in his early radio days. “I’ll never forget what he did for us,” Cataldi said.
Tony Bruno, Rhea Hughes, Al Morganti, and many of the managers he worked with, including David Field, David Yadgaroff, Rod Lakin, and Spike Eskin also received high praise from the outgoing host, as he shared his appreciation for their time together and what they meant to him and the show’s success.
After discussing how much he hated his former Program Director Tom Bigby, Cataldi admitted he learned a lot from his former boss, even after putting in his contract that Bigby couldn’t speak to him unless Cataldi wanted the conversation to happen.
“If I did not acknowledge how much he taught us, I wouldn’t be fair. He was really great, even though we hated him,” Cataldi joked.
He then retrospectively looked at himself, saying “I was kind of a jerk. I was obnoxious to a lot of people because I was so committed to do the best show we could. Some took it well, some didn’t. I’m not apologizing, but I am acknowledging it.”
94WIP midday show hosts Joe DeCamara and Jon Ritchie will step into the show vacated by Cataldi on Monday, February 20th. Cataldi gave a parting message to the pair who will replace his timeslot.
“When I took over, after Brookie (Tom Brookshier) left, everybody said to me ‘You’re doomed now. He’s a legend, nobody can follow (him).’ And now some people are saying that to Joe and Jon, and James (Seltzer, the pair’s producer), the next show. Don’t believe a word of it…give them the same opportunity you gave us. Offer them the same loyalty and they’re going to build on it the same way we did. They will be terrific here and they will be successful the way we were.”
Cataldi thanked his wife in the closing stages of his final segment, saying something she recently did on the air was the best moment of his illustrious career.
“She was there to listen when I got home, she calmed me down when I got crazy, she picked me up when I fell down, and her speech here a few weeks ago when she talked about the sacrifice of doing this job, that is the single greatest moment of my radio career.”
He then signed off the air by utilizing a phrase he said he mocked every athlete who retired for using.
“It’s time for me to go, Philadelphia. I need to spend more time with my family. Thank you for the best 33 years of my life.”
