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RADIO WARS STUNNER: Mike Missanelli Out at 97.5 the Fanatic
Published:
A STUNNER in Philly sports talk radio, as multiple sources tell Crossing Broad that Mike Missanelli was let go by 97.5 the Fanatic on Friday afternoon. Mike was under contract through the end of the NFL season, so Beasley will pay out the rest of the contract, amounting to about five months. (EDIT- it may be only a portion of this, I will double check, I can’t imagine they’d move early with no cost saving)*
We’re told this is part of another round of cuts at Beasley stations across the country.
You’ll recall that Missanelli returned to 97.5 one year ago this week. He was working the midday show with Ray Dunne and Bill Colarulo, who was recently promoted to PM drive following Tyrone Johnson’s departure. Mike had been working solo, with Dunne producing and running the second mic, in recent weeks.
This is the second time now that the Fanatic and Missanelli have parted ways on less than stellar terms. Missanelli up and left back in the summer of 2022 following the fracturing of the relationship with former cluster manager Joe Bell. Mike’s return was made possible by Bell’s June, 2024 departure, and the ensuing promotion of Paul Blake, who previously served as Vice President and Director of Sales. Now Missanelli is out again less than a year later.
Cue the speculation then –
Obviously Beasley would not make this move without a replacement lined up. Jon Marks recently announced his departure from PHLY and expressed interest in working middays as one of the reasons for leaving WIP at the end of 2023. It would seem that Marks has to be penciled in as candidate #1 to replace Mike, unless there’s something coming down the pike that we’re unaware of. We will continue to “effort” that information, but Marks makes so much sense right now.
This is a DEVELOPING STORY and we’ll update it as more information becomes available.
*(EDIT 2 – Okay I asked around, the contract is guaranteed, so they will pay Mike the entirety of it. That being said, I have no clue what Beasley’s play is here.)
Kevin has been writing about Philadelphia sports since 2009. He spent seven years in the CBS 3 sports department and started with the Union during the team's 2010 inaugural season. He went to the academic powerhouses of Boyertown High School and West Virginia University. email - k.kinkead@sportradar.com