Philly Radio: DeCamara, Ritchie Moving To Mornings On 94WIP

Audacy unveils a new weekday morning show for SportsRadio 94WIP in Philadelphia. Following the conclusion of the Philadelphia Eagles season and upcoming retirement of 94WIP veteran Angelo Cataldi in early 2023, the station’s current midday show hosts Joe DeCamara and Jon Ritchie will move to morning drive, weekdays from 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. ET. The show will also feature longtime WIP morning anchor Rhea Hughes and producer James Seltzer.

A new midday show will be announced in the coming months.

“We are very excited to announce Joe DeCamara and Jon Ritchie will be leading the WIP morning show,” said Rod Lakin, Brand Manager, SportsRadio 94WIP. “For the last three decades Angelo Cataldi set the standard for morning drive in Philadelphia and helped define the sports narrative of this great city. Joe and Jon, along with Rhea Hughes and the other talented members of the WIP morning show, will adhere to the standard that Angelo created and develop a connection with the Philadelphia sports audience for years to come.”

“I am ecstatic for the opportunity to host mornings on WIP,” said DeCamara. “There is a remarkable tradition of success long established by the legend, Angelo, and the entire current morning team, and my aim is to continue to uphold that level of excellence. I feel a tremendous sense of gratitude to WIP and Audacy management, to Angelo, and to WIP listeners and callers whose intense passion drives the heartbeat of Philly sports. We look forward to assembling the full team that will comprise our show as we move to mornings. And I look forward to multiple parades down Broad Street over the next four months!”

DeCamara has 21 years of on-air experience in the Philadelphia market, launching his career in the radio industry in 2001 at 1490-AM WBCB. DeCamara has also hosted nationally syndicated shows for ESPN Radio and appeared on various TV stations both locally and nationally. He’s a 1996 graduate of St. Joseph’s Preparatory School and a 2000 graduate of Fairfield University in Connecticut.

“I’m grateful and honored that Joe and I have the opportunity to follow in Angelo Cataldi’s footsteps on WIP’s morning show,” said Ritchie. “We’ll work hard to uphold the station’s tradition of emotional connection with the greatest sports fans in the world.”

A Mechanicsburg, PA native, Ritchie is a veteran of seven NFL seasons – split between the Oakland Raiders (1998-2002) and the Philadelphia Eagles (2003-2004) – appearing in 94 regular-season and nine playoff games during his career. Following his retirement, Ritchie entered the broadcasting arena, providing analysis as a commentator on ESPN’s “Outside the Lines,” ESPN’s “First Take,” “NFL 32,” “College Football Overdrive” and “SportsNation.” He was the co-host on the “Artie Lange Show” on DirecTV, as well as on-air talent for NBC Sports Network’s “Pro Football Talk” and “Fantasy Football Live.”

The Philly Business Journal reports Audacy did not indicate what would be next for morning show contributors Keith Jones and Cataldi’s longtime producer, Joe Weachter. Jones, a former Flyers right winger, has a primary job as the color analyst on the team’s broadcasts on NBC Sports Philadelphia. He also serves as an analyst on Turner Sports’ NHL coverage.

DeCamara and Ritchie will have big shoes to fill in replacing Cataldi, the station’s longtime ratings powerhouse who is responsible, directly and indirectly, for bringing in a large chunk of its advertising and sponsorship dollars. Cataldi is a prolific pitch man for sponsors ranging from fork lift rental companies to auto dealers, and the higher the ratings for his show, the more WIP can charge for ad spots.

Angelo Cataldi

Audacy will also save money. Cataldi reportedly earns around $2 million a year, and sources said that no one else at the station makes more than $500,000. Even if DeCamara and Ritchie earn pay raises, the move will still be a cost save. The Fanatic, WIP's chief rival, replaced its own ratings strong man, afternoon drive host Mike Missanelli, with a trio of younger and cheaper hosts earlier this year.

Audacy and Beasley Broadcasting Group, parent company of The Fanatic, have both experienced some economic headwinds this year, leading to job cuts at both companies.

In August, Audacy received a notice from the New York Stock Exchange that it was not in compliance with NYSE’s continued listing standard requiring a minimum average closing price of $1 per share over 30 consecutive trading days. Audacy said it intended to regain compliance “and is considering all available options that are in the best interests of the company and its shareholders.” A report surfaced earlier this month that it was exploring the sale of podcast studio Cadence13.

Regardless of potential cost saves from Cataldi's retirement, Audacy would still stand to lose if the new morning show bleeds listeners and then advertising dollars.

📻Listeners can tune in to SportsRadio 94WIP (WIP-FM) in Philadelphia on air and nationwide on the Audacy app and website. Fans can also connect with the station via Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.