Chuck Damico Named Program Director for Philadelphia Sports Talker ‘97.5 The Fanatic.’ Six months after programming pro Eric Johnson exited the program director role at Beasley Media Group’s sports talk WPEN-FM, Philadelphia “97.5 The Fanatic,” the company announces it is promoting programmer Chuck Damico to the position, effective immediately. Damico has most recently been serving as PD for sister adult hits WBEN-FM and as APD for rock WMMR-FM. He will continue to serve as the APD at WMMR-FM as well as consult with WBEN-FM until a permanent replacement is announced. Beasley Philadelphia VP and market manager Joe Bell says, “Chuck was the perfect person to take the helm at ‘The Fanatic.’ He is an outside-the-box thinker who knows the market, the listeners, the staff, and is a life-long Philly sports fan! He will do a great job taking the station to the next level and beyond!” Eric Camille, who has been filling in as the interim program director, will continue serving as assistant program director and operations manager of the station.

Hochman and Entercom Strike Contract Extension Deal. South Florida sports talk radio personality Marc Hochman renews his deal with Entercom to continue his role on its Miami sports talk stations WAXY “AM 790 The Ticket” and WQAM “560 The Joe.” He co-hosts the “Hochman and Crowder” program with Channing Crowder that airs from 2:00 pm to 6:00 pm on WAXY and from 3:00 pm to 6:00 pm on WQAM. Entercom South Florida SVP and market manager Keriann Worley says, “Marc is a staple in the Miami sports media scene and brings a dynamic repertoire to our weekday sports talk programming on both ‘The Ticket’ and ‘The Joe.’ With four flagship partnerships between the two stations, the lack of live sports has created a unique challenge in programming, but Marc and Channing have continued to inform, entertain and engage with listeners. We look forward to more in the years to come.” Hochman joined WQAM as an afternoon drive host in 2013 after spending the previous 10 years as executive producer of “The Dan Le Batard Show” on AM 790 The Ticket. “Hochman and Crowder” has been heard on both stations via simulcast since 2019.

COVID-19 Statistics and Projections Top News/Talk Story for Week of June 22-26. The rising number of COVID-19 cases in some states and projections for future outbreaks of the illness combined as the most-talked-about story on news/talk radio this week, landing atop the Talkers Ten^TM. At #2 this week was the state of health care during the pandemic and the debate over the efficacy of wearing masks in public. Coming in at #3 is a tie between race relations, police reform, the removal of Confederate and Colonial-era statues, and the NASCAR ‘Noose” case, followed by the presidential race, President Trump’s rallies, the primary elections, and former national security adviser John Bolton’s book all tied at #4. The Talkers Ten^TM is a weekly chart of the top stories and people discussed on news/talk radio during the week and is the result of ongoing research from TALKERS magazine. It is published every Friday at Talkers.com. See this week’s complete chart here.

NEED A GUEST? We’ve Got Some Good Ones for You at ‘Expert Guests.’ Talk media hosts, producers, and bookers are advised to check out the newly expanded “Expert Guests” section of TALKERS. It is updated on a regular basis with outstanding experts and personalities available by telephone, Skype, or Zoom for booking on radio, TV, and online talk shows. This week you’ll find a wide array of guests that includes widely acclaimed Germany-based Hungarian progressive jazz-rock musician Leslie Mandoki and The Epoch Times leading edge investigative reporter on Communist China, Joshua Philipp. There are also guest commentators on diversity management, school and campus safety, as well as keeping Zoom events secure and private – plus a whole lot more. To visit “Expert Guests,” please click here.

Saga Seeks News/Talk Programmer. Saga Communications holds every one of our news/talk stations in extremely high regard. Our 11 AM/FM news/talkers have been and remain a most important part of Saga’s large portfolio of stations. They are near and dear to Saga president/CEO Ed Christian’s heart with a love and passion for the format that is truly eternal. Saga has a rare opening for a focused and skilled news/talk program director at WHCU in Ithaca, New York. The Cayuga Radio Group has a total of 10 outstanding radio stations in virtually every format and is led by president/GM extraordinaire Chet Osadchey and our terrific operations manager Chris Allinger. Check out Ithaca! It’s home to some of the most prestigious colleges and universities in the nation such as Ithaca College and Ivy League member Cornell University. Looking to make a difference in one of the most beautiful parts of the country? We want to hear from you. Send your materials, including cover and resume, to operations director Chris Allinger at callinger@cyradiogroup.com. Join one of the premiere broadcast companies in the world. Saga is an EOE. No calls please.

Tags: 560 The Joe, 97.5 The Fanatic, Adult Hits, AM 790 The Ticket, Beasley Media Group, Channing Crowder, Chuck Damico, Dan Le Batard, Entercom, Eric Camille, Eric Johnson, Joe Bell, Keriann Worley, Marc Hochman, Miami, Philadelphia, rock, South Florida, Sports Talk, WAXY-AM, WBEN-FM, WMMR-FM, WPEN-FM, WQAM

Category: Front Page News, Industry News