Philly Radio: WPEN-FM Unveils New Morning Show, Gargano To Mid-day

William 'Tra' Thomas

In a new lineup that will debut next Monday, WPEN 97.5 The Fanatic is adding Marc Farzetta and moving current morning show host Anthony Gargano, according to Philly.com.

Farzetta, the host of Philly Sports Talk on NBC Sports Philadelphia and a former 94.1 WIP talker, will co-host the station's all-new morning show called Farzetta and Tra In the Morning alongside former Eagles offensive lineman William "Tra" Thomas, who jumped to The Fanatic from WIP in July and has been acting as a fill-in host. Thomas is a three-time Pro Bowler who played 10 seasons for the Eagles.

Gargano, whose last day on the morning show was Sept. 20, will take over co-hosting duties on the Fanatic's midday show, alongside current host Jason Myrtetus.

"I'm thrilled to remain with my Fanatic family," Gargano said in a statement. He said he was "blessed" to work on his passions — Philly sports and his writing projects.

Mark Farzetta

Former Daily News reporter Bob Cooney and producer Jamie Lynch (know to listeners as "The Bro") will both remain on the morning show. But current midday host Harry Mayes, who has been with the station since 2005, is he was no longer with the station.

Eytan Shander, The Fanatic's versatile fill-in host who had co-hosted the morning show in place of Gargano for the past week, announced on Twitter Monday morning that his role was being cut at the station.

The Fanatic’s #1 rated Mike Missanelli Show will remain in afternoon drive.

 “These moves for 97.5 The Fanatic put the brand in an even stronger position for our listeners and customers moving forward,” said Vice President of Programming Buzz Knight. “They also demonstrate that Beasley Media Group is committed to great talent and content acquisition.”

Anthony Gargano

“We are very excited to be adding Marc Farzetta and Tra Thomas to The Fanatic line up,” said Content Manager Eric Johnson. “I’ve been a fan of Marc’s since he started on the air in Philly in the mid 2000’s. He’s evolved into a major talent in town, growing from Update Anchor and Time Out Entertainer at Temple basketball games to Radio Talk Show Anchor and NBC Sports Philadelphia Host. Tra has a natural gift of compelling story telling!”

He added, “With Anthony Gargano leading our midday show with Jason Myrtetus, these moves will put the station in a much stronger competitive position. This really ushers in a new era for a great brand…97.5 The Fanatic!”

Gargano left WIP and joined The Fanatic in April 2015 to launch the station's first local morning sports talk show, which replaced ESPN's syndicated Mike and Mike. But after starting off strong and at one point presenting a serious challenge to longtime ratings champion Cataldi, Gargano's show endured several roster changes and began to trail his former rival in the ratings.