Jon Marks is heading to mornings on 97.5 The Fanatic beginning August 17. The shift for Marks was explained during his midday program today on the Philadelphia radio station.
What We Know: Beasley Media Group is promoting Marks from middays to morning drive, pairing him with Andrew Salciunas on the station’s 6-10 a.m. show. The pairing fills the seat left open after John Kincade’s exit following his July 31 broadcast. Meanwhile, Ray Dunne moves from midday producer to on-air co-host, joining Sean Brace for the 10 a.m.-2 p.m. slot. Marks signs off middays next Friday, handing the reins directly to Dunne. Marks discussed the move to mornings and the difficulty with making the decision today on The Fanatic.
What They Said: (All quotes from 97.5 The Fanatic)
Jon Marks on making the decision to move to mornings on 97.5 The Fanatic: “It was not an easy decision at all. I felt like it was what’s best for the station, and it’s what’s best for you two guys as well. You guys will put on a great show, and I know you’re going to pick up right where I leave off next Friday when I sign off and Ray, you take over. But it was not an easy decision, and not one I took lightly either.”
Jon Marks says he couldn’t say no to morning drive this time around: “Being this wasn’t the first time they’ve offered me mornings in the last few years, and I said no last time. To say no again, that would have been it. They’re not going to keep asking. Working with Andrew [Salciunas] is very exciting. So, I said yes. I said yes, knowing that I was going to be leaving one of the one of the better shows that I’ve worked on.”
Jon Marks says moving to mornings with Sean Brace was not brought up: “Andrew [Salciunas] was designated as the morning show host as John [Kincade] was leaving. There was never really a conversation about any of that. It was do you want to join Andrew in the mornings? I said yes.”
Jon Marks on how mornings will not affect his work/life/family balance: “This doesn’t really affect anything but my sleep. It doesn’t really affect my family. My wife will have the kids in the morning. But for the most part, she takes the kids to school every day anyway, except in a pinch. This doesn’t do anything to my family. Honestly, the midday schedule really worked with my schedule. It was great, and I really enjoyed it”
What Remains Unclear: The new morning show doesn’t have an official on-air name yet. Marks also didn’t go into detail on how long the conversations about shifting to mornings went.
What It Means: You can tell Marks had a difficult decision to make. A year after rejoining the Fanatic and welcoming Brace as his full time co-host in March, he contemplated this move heavily. This change reflects internal promotion rather than an outside hire. Moreover, a trust that program director Scott Masteller has in Marks to lead the station on a daily basis.
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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.