97.5 The Fanatic is making changes to its daily lineup. Those changes have led to the exit of Kevin Cooney.
What We Know: 97.5 The Fanatic is ending its weekday evening programming, including the Philly Sports Tonight show. The station’s local programming will end at 6 PM following the conclusion of Unfiltered with Ricky Botalico and Bill Colarulo. The station is expected to broadcast a two-hour “best of” show featuring the top moments from the morning, midday, and afternoon shows at 6 PM to replace the live program. Philly Sports Tonight aired sporadically due to the Fanatic’s live sports schedule featuring the 76ers and Flyers. The show was hosted by Kevin Cooney and Brendan Gunn.
What They Said: “I have decided to leave 97.5 The Fanatic to pursue other opportunities that may value my experience and knowledge of the market. It’s not an easy decision. I have so many friends that I have made there over the past 3 1/2 years. I wish them all well. As far as the next chapter: I don’t have anything set up yet. I still want to have the interactions with the people in this city that I love. To all those who I’ve gotten a chance to talk to on air since Dec. 22, I want to say thank you.” -Kevin Cooney
What Remains Unclear: If Brendan Gunn will also depart the station or be reassigned. Gunn has not made a similar public announcement.
What It Means: The move comes after both the 76ers and Flyers were eliminated from the NBA and NHL playoffs, respectively. That would mean that Philly Sports Tonight would be heard more frequently with the lack of live games eating up time in the schedule.
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Garrett Searight is Barrett Media’s News Editor, which includes writing daily news stories, features, and opinion columns. He joined Barrett Media in 2022 after a decade leading several radio brands in several formats, as well as a 5-year stint working in local television. In addition to his work with Barrett Media, he is a radio and TV play-by-play broadcaster. Reach out to him at Garrett@BarrettMedia.com.
