Every day you live is full of decisions. Small ones and big ones alike. The opportunity to have choice is a blessing that’s undervalued by many every day. Decisions can be made quickly, while others take added time before reaching an outcome. John Kincade made a choice that few have the opportunity to make in sports radio today. He decided it was time to walk away from his morning host duties at Philadelphia’s 97.5 The Fanatic.
“To have gone through three cancers in my lifetime. Just the fact that I’m walking and thriving, I’m celebrating life every day,” said Kincade. “I’m very fortunate to be alive and survived everything I’ve survived. What I want to do is enjoy my life every day. Part of that is doing things that I want to do on my terms.”
Kincade made the announcement on June 3 that he would be stepping away from the radio station. A station he’s called home since 2021. It was an emotional moment, but one that had been in the works for some time.
Following a doctor’s appointment and several conversations with his wife, Kincade determined it was no longer healthy to work the hours that morning drive demands. The consistency of waking up at 4 a.m. was proving to be more challenging for his long-term health.
With his contract with the station expiring at the end of the year, Kincade notified station management of his decision after initial conversations about an extension were underway.
“I told [station management] I couldn’t commit to extending past the end of the year. But, I also don’t feel in the crazed city of Philadelphia that we live in that it would be wise to walk out with games remaining in an Eagles season,” explained Kincade. “So, I suggested I could leave in the summer. I don’t think it would be fair for them to have me leave during the Eagles season. Thank God I work with amazing people, and they agreed with what I had brought to them.”
Timing Of The Decision
Kincade says he and station management reached an agreement that his contract would expire on July 31 instead of the end of the calendar year. As part of the arrangement, both sides also agreed that Kincade could begin looking for a new opportunity better suited to his situation beginning on June 1.
In an industry like sports radio, that arrangement is extremely rare. A station or company agreeing to part ways with one of its top talents while also allowing him to begin searching for a new opportunity before his departure.
However, several questions lingered. Despite coming to the decision over time, Kincade admitted he didn’t ask about shifting to another daypart to remain a part of The Fanatic, even while the station has seen a number of changes to the weekday lineup over the past 15 months.
“If I’m Scott Masteller [97.5 The Fanatic], I’m not messing with the lineup one more time to cater to me,” explained Kincade. “Could they have done it? If they would have offered it to me, we would have discussed it. But they did not offer it, and I did not ask for it. If they had, it would have been a consideration. But I understand why. They finally got middays and afternoon drive bringing good energy. There’s no reason to disrupt that.”
The Impact Of Change
Despite a daypart change never becoming part of the conversation, the amount of change Kincade witnessed during his time at The Fanatic did play a small role in aiding the decision.
“I would be lying to you if I didn’t say that I am someone who craves stability. All the instability that surrounded the company during my tenure with it has certainly been unnerving at times,” said Kincade. “I credit the management team however that they did everything in their power to try to make things as stable as possible.”
Kincade also noted changes to his own program, saying the team he arrived with in 2021 eventually fell victim to company cuts.
“It’s hard to gain momentum when you’re constantly losing people,” noted Kincade. “It’s the state of the business. I’m a big boy, and I’m not an excuse maker. There are things you try to do your best with to get through things. It’s the industry as a whole, so there are things you just have to do better. But I feel very blessed to have a leader like Scott Masteller to guide me and keep me grounded at times.”
It’s no secret that the sports radio industry can be challenging at times. Kincade remarked that the industry is no longer the one he grew to love when he entered it in the early 2000s. His first role was an internship alongside Angelo Cataldi at crosstown station Sports Radio 94WIP.
Kincade recalled the content approach and execution of Cataldi’s program at that time. Much of the content, he believes, wouldn’t see the air in today’s modern sports radio industry because of how society has changed over time.
“The industry that I grew up in is not the industry today,” said Kincade. “It’s ridiculous that we live in a society today that has become so hypersensitive to things that we can’t have some fun like we used to. There was a lot of high comedy back then. I don’t find a lot of comedy on sports radio today. There’s not a lot of laughing, lighthearted moments, and not as loose an atmosphere where someone could have as good a time.”
Preparing The Next Generation
For Kincade, that evolution of the industry is not just the biggest missing characteristic of the format, but he sees its absence as a detriment to sports radio. It’s an industry with an uncertain future.
However, the experience he gained through that evolution contains tremendous value for the next generation. That’s why Kincade has spent time over the past several years teaching a talk radio course as an adjunct professor at Temple University, his alma mater. The opportunity to pass along that knowledge and prepare his students for what’s to come was something he couldn’t pass up.
“I tell them every day that if any of them want my job, that job won’t be there in ten years,” said Kincade about his blunt approach to his teachings. “I’m going to prepare them for the job that will be there in ten years… I try to prepare them for the dogfight they’re getting into. This industry is nasty, and you better be ready for it. I don’t sugar coat anything, but there’s more opportunities to be your own boss in today’s media than there’s ever been.”
Admittedly, Kincade’s honest approach has earned him mixed reviews from his students. However, he cherishes the opportunity to pass along information and pay it forward every chance he gets. As he approaches the next step in his career, Kincade also hopes teaching remains part of whatever opportunity comes next.
Not Done Yet
As for those next steps, Kincade has hit the ground running. While the job market for the industry remains challenging, he’s been happy by the early interest from potential opportunities. When it comes to deciding what comes next, Kincade is not interested in going independent like many of his peers.
“I definitely do not want to go on the independent route. Doing my own content and selling my own ads. I want to step into something that is already established that I’m used to doing in sports radio,” says Kincade. “I think my wife would kill me if I went independent. She’d say to me that is too much of an endeavor and filled with stress… I admire the hell out of people in our industry that can do it. It’s not for me.”
With just over a month left at The Fanatic, Kincade expects every show to remain a normal show. He says Philadelphia sports has too much going on for his eventual departure to take center stage. Although he plans to spend some time on the final program sharing memories with staff and listeners.
In an industry where careers often end with a layoff, a format change, or a contract not being renewed. John Kincade gets to leave on his own terms. That opportunity is rare. Even rarer is having the perspective to recognize when it’s time.
Kincade has survived three battles with cancer. Enduring the uncertainty that has become commonplace in modern media, and spending more than two decades in the business he loves, Kincade’s decision wasn’t driven by ratings, money, or ego.
It was driven by something far more important: quality of life.
The next chapter remains unwritten. Whether it includes another microphone, a classroom, or a different role entirely. Kincade has already achieved something many spend their entire careers chasing. He built a successful run in one of America’s toughest sports radio markets and earned the freedom to choose what comes next.
For now, with over a month remaining at 97.5 The Fanatic, Kincade’s focus remains where it has always been. On the audience, the city, and the conversation. The ending may be approaching, but unlike so many departures in today’s media landscape, this one isn’t defined by uncertainty.
It’s defined by gratitude, perspective, and the confidence that comes from knowing exactly why it’s time to turn the page.
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John Mamola is Barrett Media’s sports editor and daily sports columnist. He brings over two decades of experience (Chicago, Tampa/St Petersburg) in the broadcast industry with expertise in brand management, sales, promotions, producing, imaging, hosting, talent coaching, talent development, web development, social media strategy and design, video production, creative writing, partnership building, communication/networking with a long track record of growth and success. He is a five-time recognized top 20 program director in a major market via Barrett Medi’s Top 20 series and has been honored internally multiple times as station/brand of the year (Tampa, FL) and employee of the month (Tampa, FL) by iHeartMedia. Connect with John by email at John@BarrettMedia.com.
