Philly Radio: Legendary Personality John DeBella Announces Retirement

Longtime Philadelphia radio star John DeBella will retire from WMGK airwaves in June, The Philadelphia Inquirer reports the host made the announcement Thursday.

“I just feel it’s time,” DeBella wrote in an open letter declaring his decision to step back after 48 years on the air, and 21 years at WMGK. “My schedule has caused me to miss a lot of family time, and now it’s time to pay them back for all the games, dinners, and events I wasn’t around for.”

The morning show host said Thursday that he would stay with the station until the end of his contract on June 30, promising to “pack as much fun as I possibly can into the next eight weeks.”

DeBella, a New York native, came to Philadelphia in 1982, and helped pioneer WMMR’s “morning zoo” format. There, his morning show became the top-rated show in Philadelphia, and achieved the highest ratings in local radio history at the time, according to WMGK.

“Simply put, John DeBella has defined morning radio in Philadelphia for 40 years,” said Beasley Media Group Philadelphia Vice President and Market Manager Joe Bell. “He’s a true radio icon.”

DeBella posted his farewell letter on the WMGK wesbite Thursday Morning:

"After nearly 48 years on the air, 41 here in Philadelphia, and 21 of those at WMGK, I announced today that I have decided to retire at the end of my contract on June 30th.

"I just feel it’s time. When I came to Philadelphia in 1982, I would never have believed that I could have gone as far as I have here. I’ve been blessed with a magical life and a career beyond my wildest imagination…and I have you, my listeners, to thank for that.

"My schedule has caused me to miss a lot of family time, and now it’s time to pay them back for all the games, dinners, and events I wasn’t around for.

"My contract actually ended in December, but management and I agreed that it would be best for the station if I stayed 6 more months…so we still have some more time together.

"There has been a running joke that started 15 years ago when I was signing what I said was my last contract. I’ve signed that last contract 4 more times since then. But it’s time for that joke to end.

"I’m going to pack as much fun as I possibly can into the next 8 weeks and I’m hoping for the biggest Veterans Radiothon EVER!

"I hope you will be here for as much as you can because “YOU” are the most important element of the show.

John DeBella

 

The Philadelphia Business Journal reports DeBella, 71, is a native of Queens, New York, and a 1973 graduate of Hofstra University. Known for his signature handlebar mustache, he wrote comedy for The National Lampoon Radio Hour, the syndicated radio program that starred John Belushi, Chevy Chase, Dan Akroyd, Bill Murray and many others. Before coming to Philadelphia, he hosted a radio show in Garden City. New York.

In 1982, he came to Philadelphia and become one of the originators of what was called the Morning Zoo format on rock station 93.3 WMMR with co-host Mark "The Shark" Drucker. It was the top-rated morning drive show in Philadelphia for much of the 1980s — referring to the region as the BeBellaware Valley — until Howard Stern’s program began airing on rival rock station 94.1 WYSP-FM. Stern overtook DeBella in 1986, with Stern proclaiming he would not only dethrone DeBella in the ratings but make him lose his job and his wife. Three years later, Stern surpassed DeBella in the ratings and eventually was moved to the afternoon drive shift. When DeBella and his wife Annette split in 1992, Stern held a mock divorce party and had Annette DeBella on his show. Annette DeBella committed suicide later that year and Stern apologized to DeBella for his behavior several years later.

In 2002, DeBella returned to radio hosting and the morning drive shift by taking his current role at WMGK, with a combination of talk and classic rock songs. The show always closes with Eric Idle’s “Always Look on the Bright Side of Life.” DeBella signs off with the line “Have a great day, Philadelphia. Don't take any crap from anybody.”

In addition to his 47-year radio career, DeBella has co-anchored the Philadelphia Mummers Parade and has won numerous local service and humanitarian awards. Every spring, DeBella sponsors an annual dog walk in Montgomery County. He also heads the annual "MGK Turkey Drop," with CityTeam Philadelphia before Thanksgiving and hosts an annual Veterans Radiothon that benefits the Philadelphia Veterans Multi-Service Center.

Along with his morning show, he heads local TV production company Husky Productions. Last month, DeBella was officially inducted into the Philadelphia Music Alliance Walk of Fame.