Sixers leaving WIP for The Fanatic
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Sixers leaving WIP for The Fanatic
The Sixers’ regular-season finale Wednesday night will be their last game on WIP, ending a long relationship with the station.
The team announced a multiyear agreement for all games to air on 97.5 The Fanatic, and for a significant number of games to be simulcast on 950 ESPN Radio.
The first broadcast will be Game 1 of the Sixers’ first-round playoff series Saturday. That game will air on the FM dial; some playoff games will also be simulcast, although which games has not been determined.
Announcer Tom McGinnis will continue to call the games, “without change,” according to a press release.
The move comes as WIP has added game coverage of both professional and college teams following its incorporating an FM signal on 94.1.
“For the first time ever, all 76ers games all season long will be found on a single station on the preferred FM band and many will be simulcast on AM as well,” Sixers CEO Adam Aron said in a statement. “The Sixers rapidly growing fan base will no longer have to set their radios to ‘scan’ to find where their Sixers will be aired. We appreciate the support of our previous primary radio station broadcaster over the years, but know that this move to The Fanatic and ESPN Radio is the right move for Sixers fans.”
In a statement, Marc Rayfield, a senior vice president and market manager for CBS Radio, which operates WIP, said: “WIP and the Philadelphia 76ers have been broadcast partners for many, many years. A changing competitive landscape has required both sides to reevaluate its priorities.
“We thank the 76ers, its great play-by-play announcer Tom McGinnis, Comcast Spectacor and the new ownership group for giving us the privilege of broadcasting their games, and wish them luck in this season's playoffs, as well as in the years to come.”
Beginning next season, each game will be preceded by 20 minutes of pregame coverage and followed by 40 minutes of postgame coverage. The postgame show will include a live broadcast of the coach’s news conference.
The Sixers and Greater Media Philadelphia, which owns the radio station, also said they are seeking to build a network outside the immediate radio signal area.
Whoopee Doo. How many people listen to Sixer games, anyway?— mike l- New ownership move; leave a long time partner to go to an inferior signal / station. Must have gotten ten bucks more— JBinPA
I found it interesting that this partnership begins Saturday, with the first playoff game, not next year. This is a blow to the CBS monster that has swallowed up countless major radio stations in our major US cities. Will many other teams in other major cities follow suit with CBS? Glad to see Tom McGinnis is retaining his announcing duties. He is a gem of an announcer....... And I am a listener! Radio is still the outlet where the great play by play announcers work their craft, be it basketball, hockey, football or baseball...... I wish the Sixers well in their new move!- Exactly RiverRat. I also listen to the games. I don't have anything against Zumoff but McGinnis is not a homer. He will not hesitate to point out the Sixers mistakes.— BigVilFromWestPhil
- Good move...i didnt realize that when the phils and flyers were playing, the sixers were actually on 98.1 until a few weeks ago...sixers fans will appreciate this— jame4213
- Good move...i didnt realize that when the phils and flyers were playing, the sixers were actually on 98.1 until a few weeks ago...sixers fans will appreciate this— jame4213
- Good move...i didnt realize that when the phils and flyers were playing, the sixers were actually on 98.1 until a few weeks ago...sixers fans will appreciate this— jame4213
- Good move...i didnt realize that when the phils and flyers were playing, the sixers were actually on 98.1 until a few weeks ago...sixers fans will appreciate this— jame4213
- WIP is still on the air?— delcodanno
- WIP is hopelessly lame. Good for the Sixers.— namtac
- Maybe the Sixers got tired of Cataldi's constant bashing on the morning talk show. 97.5 certainly isn't a step down. Aside from Michael Barkan, Ike Reese and Big Daddy Graham, WIP's lineup is weak.
- This should have happened years ago. I dreamed of the 76ers having their own station again after years with the once great 1210 WCAU and the great play by play man and sports talk announcer, the late Steve Fredericks (along with Bill Campbell, Don McKee, Andy Muser, etc).
Finally, the 76ers have an ownership team that cares about the team and it's fans. They deserve high praise in making this move and making 76ers fans everywhere very thankful.
— 21stCentury - Good move....they need to seperate themselves from other franchises.— amblereagles
Bob Cooney has been at the Daily News for more than 20 years, working in the sports department for the past 15. This is his third season on the Sixers beat. He has covered just about everything, but mostly college basketball, where he was the La Salle beat writer for six seasons. E-mail Bob at cooneyb@phillynews.com and follow him on Twitter.
