97.5 The Fanatic Has a New On-Air Schedule

97.5 The Fanatic will be changing their lineup in a big way. The station just announced that Jon Marks will replace Harry Mayes' mid-day slots by joining Brian Baldinger from 10-12 and Tony Bruno from 12-2. Mayes will get in own show at night, Mayes to Midnight, from 10-12. 

Marks will continue to host Talkin’ Baseball With Dutch from 6-7, while Tom Byrne will take over the 7-10 shift in the evenings, according to the station.

Obviously, Mike Missanelli remains on from 2-6.

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Kyle Scott
Kyle Scott
Kyle Scott is the founder and editor of CrossingBroad.com. He has written for CBS Philly and Philly Voice, and been a panelist or contributor on NBC Sports Philly, FOX 29 and SNY TV, as well as a recurring guest on 97.5 The Fanatic, 94 WIP, 106.7 The Fan and other stations. He has more than 10 years experience running digital media properties and in online advertising and marketing.
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74 Responses

  2. And I’ll be tuning into 610 with Mike & Ike. Mayes/Baldy/Bruno was the best show on the local radio. They keep pushing Marks on us & he’s awful. At least Byrne is back 7-10.

  5. Johnny Marks replaces Mayes?! What’s next Phil from Mt. Airy on the afternoon drive?!

  6. Man, Marks is an idiot. Him and Sean Brace may be worse than Cuz and Macnow…
    Bad move IMO.

  8. I’d rather listen to Nick Kayal and Baldy/Tony.
    @Homer’s Gun – Mike and Ike? No way. Can’t STAND Ike Reese. I’d rather listen to Evan Turner read the dictionary.

  9. Guess they just wanted to put Byrne back on in prime-time. Someone at 97.5 must really love John Marks – listeners sure don’t. Guess they wanted their goldenboy Marks in a better slot with Byrne moving back up & Mayes was the odd man out. Really bad call – cant imagine this lasts very long.

  10. Marks is terrible, why does 97.5 continue to give this dude air time. Ratings will take a nose dive, but nobody listens to Mike and Ike. Looks like we’re going back to giving KYW 22 minutes and them giving us the world

  12. Harry is the best personality on 97.5. He made listening to Bruno tolerable. This is a TERRIBLE move for the Fanatic.
    Not that I listen to sports talk radio anymore anyway, other than maybe 15 minutes a day.
    Spotify stopped me from listening all day long about a year ago.

  13. How come Baldy’s Show is not also broadcast on WPEN 950 AM? I get a stronger signal for WPEN than 97.5 while driving down the shore…

  14. Marks is good, sucks for Mayes, I’ll be listening to WIP either way if I feel like tuning into idiots yelling about sports since all the stations that play music are awful now.

  15. All the above comments summed it up. Horrible, horrible move. The only time I wasn’t rocking Spotify in my car or at work was Harry and Tony, and now that that’s done, I’m all in on Spotify. Mike and Ike is hands down the worst, but Johnnie Marks isn’t far behind. He’s like Ike Reese in his complete lack of sports knowledge (At least Ike has football). I don’t understand why it’s so hard to find someone with a good radio personality who actually does in depth sports viewing and research in the 20 hours they’re not on the air (Sean Brace take note).

  16. One of the single worst decisions I have ever seen in
    Local radio. I thought the next decision would be somebody waking up to how terrible Baldy is and to make Harry and Tony 10-2. Harry by himself will be terrible. Tony has been awful with anyone BUT Harry. The idiots at the Fanatic just eliminated a singe listener to the station other than 2-6.
    And the worst part is their competition is so awful. Mike and Ike are awful. Tony/Harry From 10-2 could have made a dent in WIP’s ratings lead for that time frame.
    and I “lol” at the people congratulating Harry. It isn’t a promotion people!!!!!!!

  17. I’m very pro-97.5 in this town, but this move is awful. Marks, as mentioned before, is annoying. He was annoying as Mikey Miss’ producer, Sean Brace’s partner, and he and Tony Bruno will set radio back 10 years in this town.
    And another thing, Bruno is AWFUL. If you like Tony Bruno, you might need to be examined for ADHD.
    The guy can’t say an athlete’s name without following it up with “And I’m not talking about…” “Hope Solo, and I’m not talking about Hope, or President Obama or anything like that…” Add that to the HUNDREDS of dumb ass sound effects played every other minute, and the lack of anything sports-related, it is one of the worst shows I have ever heard.
    I’d rather listen to Angelo Cataldi play with Rhea Hughes’ vag.

  19. And that last comment is a rip of Harry. I love him but no chance he willingly wanted to dissapear from 10-1 am every night. At least I pray he is smarter than that.

  21. Johnny Marks is horrible. I don’t know who he blows at that station (besides missaneli and Dutch obviously) to keep his job. When they put him and brace on the air together to fill in for that douchebag missaneli, they are completely unlistenable. Who at the station thinks, “hey let’s put two 30 year old hipsters who have no clue about sports on in the afternoon drive!”. I guess they figure his last hope is to be paired with people now who actually have an ounce of knowledge about sports, and if he is still unlistenable (which is a given), he’ll be back tongue punching missaneli’s fartbox in no time. Plus he reads this blog which makes all these comments even better.

  22. Harry’s sectional is going to get mad love throughout the day. Ah -HE-HE-HE-HE-HAW-HAW-HAW-HAW.
    [“Now that’s what I’m talkin’ bout” sound effect]
    [Haaaarry sound effect]

  23. Where is all this love for Mayes coming from..he’s a loser who never played a sport in his life..not saying I like marks but Bruno made Mayes who he is.

  24. Hey! You all leave my Johnny alone. He is a wonderful boy and even better son. He is a good radio host.
    I love you Johnny.
    Love mommy
    xoxoxoxoxoxxoxooxxo

  25. Marks, Brace, Phil from Mt.Airy, and Ashworth (Dream Job guy) are all really brutal.
    They should be looking to replace all those guys instead of giving them more air time.
    Byrne’s a superstar – I think he could actually replace Mikey Miss down the road. He’s one of the only hosts in this market who actually talks hockey & when he doesn’t watch a game he admits he missed it as opposed to trying to bullshit his way through after watching SportsCenter highlights the way some of the other hosts do.

  27. Bruno is by FAR the most entertaining radio show in the afternoon in this area. Im not sure what some of you are listening to.

  28. Funny they made the switch while Barkan is away on WIP. Guess they were afraid people would switch.

  29. Mayes sucks too. Baldinger is terrible and always has been. There’s a reason he was Fox’s D-Team. Marks ain’t all that great and Sean Brayce doesn’t know sports from board games. Bruno rules, and if there’s any hope for John Marks to be decent it’s to pair him up with Bruno.

  31. Marks isn’t horrible compared to others out there. Baldy is terrible and is always right no matter what. Brace is horrendous and is so damn annoying with his forced Philly accent and urban vernacular. Bruno makes this station bearable for the most part because it brings someone in who doesn’t always think they know the world of sports inside and out and actually brings humor. Mayes was starting to become a crurmudgeon and always seemed to get pissed at the most ridiculous things so maybe they figured they throw him on at night when he can do it while no ones listening.

  35. This elicited some great comments. I have to with most people on here. Marks and Brace are awful. Harry is very entertaining. Bruno is an ass clown, and Tom Bryne, although he can be a asshole, is solid as a rock. He knows his shit. The only good mover here is Bryne from 7-10. Maybe they should hire Kyle for middays……SIKE!

  36. CAN’T WE ALL JUST GET ALONG AND FOCUS ON WHAT IS REALLY IMPORTANT:
    GETTING TOM MCCARTHY FIRED!

  38. Harry Mayes & baldy would drive me fucking insane when they would always try to talk golf

  39. Should be “Marks to Midnight”… This is a DEMOTION for Mayes. Tony and Mayes should have the 10A-2P slot. No more Baldy, hes good for football season, that’s about it. This was a stupid move. Although I was thinking to myself the other day that Mayes’ head was getting too big for himself lately

  40. Marks & Brace were horrible when they filled in for that pussy mike miss the other week. Every fucking day they would talk about the psu scandal. Felt like i was listening to a rerun.
    I actually don’t mind them 2 in the am on the weekends though

  41. Schwartzman is on the radio in NYC. I heard him Saturday morning on ESPN 1050/whatever their FM station is. I’ve heard him before though so I don’t know if he’s full time.
    Also Marks & Brace is the worst combo on sports radio in Philadelphia. Whoever called them “30 something hipster douche’s” killed it.

  42. People I would love to never hear on Philly radio again – Cataldi, Hughes, Mike&Mike in the morning (give me a break with these guys already), Ike Reese, The Cuz (everything to him is “AWESOME BO”, unless he’s going on about his kid, or mobster bullshit), Marks & Brace, and lastly………..whose brilliant idea on WIP was it to put 2 hardcore NEW FRIGGIN YORK douchebag comedians on nighttime radio, in Philly, who barely ever talk sports & aren’t even funny to begin with? Whose brainstorm was that bullshit? As soon as I hear their New York accent I change the channel. Nice job WIP. You guys really are catering to your demographic with these ass clowns.
    Btw, Mikey Miss is slowly turning into Eskin. Once he takes a side on a topic then everybody becomes an “idiot” & a “moron” if they don’t come down on his side, & he usually puts them down with a fairly condescending attitude on top of it. Eskin 2.0. Also, ENOUGH WITH THE MOBSTER INFATUATION. Him & the Cuz need to get a friggin room already with that shit. It seems like every other show is Goodfellas/Godfather/Sopranos/Carlito’s Way trivia day. Jesus Christ man look up the word “variety” already.

  44. John Kincaide us the Only guy that can save afternoon sports radio in Philly. WIP stupidly decided to pass on him and go with Mike and Ike instead..another awful decision. Put John and Tony together from 10-2 and that is a huge winner.

  47. Compared to Brace, Marks is a legend. I don’t think he’s that bad overall, to be honest. I’m glad Byrne got the 7-10 slot back, even though he damn near gave it away with that cab driver incident. Guy knows his stuff and he knows how to handle his callers.

  48. Tommy Byrne is a hack. I’ll be flipping stations promptly at 7 going forward. Marks is pretty brutal on his own but is passable when teamed up with someone like Bruno or Mikey Miss.

  49. When was there ever consideration to bring John Kincade back to Philly for the afternoon show??
    I can’t stand Mike and Ike..Mike sounds like he is all hopped up on coke and Ike sounds like a Junkyard Dog whenever he speaks..

  51. I really don’t understand why The Fanatic has to constantly mix up it. Just when you start to get in the groove of the shows they go and blow it all up time and time again. Sure, some jocks are better than others, but collectively the station does a really nice job with its programming (save for Mike & Mike) and all of the shows have their own style but are listenable. I, for one, think Mayes is the best all around of the bunch and will be sad that he is moved to the graveyard shift. Best of luck Marks; you got a hard act to follow.

  52. So according to you guys every single Philadelphia sports radio personality sucks? I think you need to change the station if everyone pisses you off so much. Maybe the smooth sounds of Delilah on B101 will cheer you up.

  53. Jonnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnny Marks here! Go visit my pals at time after time where they always have time for you!

  54. Jonnnnnny Marks here! Half off cheesecake slices at the cheesecake factory where they take your cake as you eat theirs!

  56. Meh, I think it’s a decent move. I bet Mayes was tired of Bruno and having Marks on with him changes the mix up a bit.

  57. Mayes should get his teeth fixed. That gap is bigger then the kids Jerry Sandusky fucked assholes

  62. Bruno made Mayes who he is now. Anyone remember when 950/97.5 refused to give Mayes his own show? He was always some sidekick with Jody Mac, Schwartz, and Bruno. Even when he hosted postgame for Eagles he was paired with others. Mayes’ ego was getting way too big IMO…giving callers less air time, always bragging about going to the country club to golf after work. Nobody wants to hear that. Who the hell is harry mayes anyways?

  64. wow i guess its mike and ike for me now too, you should leave a great show alone unbeleiveable and never too latr to change back mays and bruno had great chemestry

  65. I actually liked the old school 950 espn line up, If I remember correctly It was Harry Mayes and Jody Mac 10-2, that was actually a good mid day show. Mike M. 2-6, I don’t remember who was on after that but the Mayes & Mac into Mike Mis, worked really well.
    The fanatics biggest problem is the length of their programming blocks, They work so hard to get these national personalities like Bruno and Baldinger, both of whom I don’t care for and I believe Bruno still does other shows which is why he only works 2 hours, there was a time about a year ago he left and I thought the mid days got a lot better when he was gone. His show is about 20% sports and 80% nonsensical sound effects. But catering to these national guys causes them to end up with these disjointed 2 hour blocks and no one team can really develop a flow.
    As far as Marks and Mayes are concerned the guys are both foils for the main personalities and I consider them interchangeable.
    Here is what I think would be a good line up.
    Mike and Mike (yes they suck, but being an espn affiliate the fanatic must carry them)
    10-2 Mayes & Jody Mac
    2-7 Mike M./Dump Brace put Marks back where he belongs (and yes he needs to lose the eskin complex he has been developing)
    7-10 Tom Byrne & Maybe Phil from Mt. Airy (Tom is good but can go off on tangents on his own and I like what Phil brings to the station)
    This line up would dump the national guys, give the local guys enough time for some rhythm and probably give them a team they could keep for more than 3 months.

  66. I like listening to Marks and Brace. I think Mike and Mike are great. They know sports and they are a lot better than listening to Angelo and his crew. I don’t think Baldy knows a lot about sports other than Football so bring him on maybe just during football seasons. Have Bruno and Mays from 10-2. Miky Miss from 2-6. And leave the night of Marks and Tommy Byrne.

  67. You guys are crazy.I don’t really have an opinion on Harry Mayes, as i don’t get to listen @ that timeframe much. When I do, Tony is friggin annoying with the sound effects and lame puns. Harry just sounded normal, he seemed ok.
    Mike and Mike are horrible. If you cut out all the sponsorships drops and ‘zany’ clips you would have a 1 hour show. “and now we have Mr. *** on our Subway takeout line where you can get a ham”…good god.
    May be my age, Im 35, but I love Mike Miss,Marks and Brace. Feel like I’m listening to my buddies talk. Tom Byrne is awful, sounds like a total schtick. And it sounds like he holds his nose when he talks.

  69. Fan of Bruno,Baldy and Dutch and I now I cant listen to any of them.
    The program director for 97.5 is completely out of touch, ratings and lineup prove that. Philadelphia is the 4th largest media market in the country you cant just pull guys off the street, out of moms basement, out of the engineering closet and give them airtime.

  70. Congratulations Harry Mayes,on getting away from that line dropping,non sport talking on a sports talk show,creepy looking egg head(Tony Bruno).
    Only really listen at night to Tom Byrne,can’t stand Mike”Eskin Like”Missanelli or his flunkies Jon Marks and that fake tough guy from Scranton,Sean Brace.

  71. Marks, Brace and Byrne are so bad they make the actual solid members of the squad (Bruno, Baldinger and Missinelli) sound like geniuses. Mayes is somewhere in the middle. Dump those three dinks. If they are cheap find some new guys…there are plenty of people out there interested in being on the air.

  72. Does anybody know how to contact the program director at 97.5 via email or something to comment on some of their lineup? These three goofs: Marks, Byrne and Brace are killing their programming.

  74. Mayes is the worst. Guy knows nothing about sports and gives out losing picks. Thinks he’s cool riding brunos coat tails. Got cut from his high school football team and now he’s trying to make up for those years of bing a loser acting like he’s a big baller

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