Philadelphia-based WIP-FM on Thursday announced that radio voice Glen Macnow, who "left his afternoon gig alongside Anthony Gargano earlier this month in a contract dispute, reached an agreement" that will keep him at the station, "albeit in a different role," according to Mullin & Eichel of the PHILADELPHIA DAILY NEWS. Macnow "will continue to host his long-running Saturday midday show with Ray Didinger, and will appear on other CBS-owned area stations." He also will "be featured during the pre- and post-game Phillies shows" on WPHT-AM and contribute to CBSPhilly.com. Meanwhile, six-year WIP-FM veteran Rob Ellis "will be moving from his standard" 6:00-10:00pm ET slot, which he has held since '10, and will work alongside Gargano. Taking over Ellis' spot is Houston-based KILT-FM's Josh Innes, who "hosted the afternoon drive spot for the past three years" (PHILADELPHIA DAILY NEWS, 12/20). In Houston, David Barron noted Innes, who was "polarizing but popular," will "be replaced in January" by longtime KGOW-AM host Sean Pendergast. Innes, who had been at KILT-FM since December '09, said that he "was leaving Houston because of the challenge of working in a hard-core sports market like Philadelphia and because he no longer wanted to work alongside" KILT-FM's Rich Lord. He said of Lord, "I don’t really like him. I’m not going to say that I’ll miss him or that he’s a friend of mine" (CHRON.com, 12/19).
SHIFTS IN THE HUB: In Boston, Gayle Fee reports Entercom Boston VP & Market Manager Phil Zachary, who runs WEEI-FM, on Thursday "denied all the buzz running through the station that the longtime sports talker would clean house and replace its on-air team with syndicated ESPN Radio programming." ESPN's radio shows currently air on the station's AM feed, but Fee reports the station has told morning show hosts John Dennis, Gerry Callahan and Kirk Minihane that WEEI execs "want to renew their contracts." Zachary, who took over WEEI-FM, WEEI-AM, WRKO-AM and WAAF-FM in October after the departure of Jeff Brown, said that he "did have a meeting earlier this week with a rep from ESPN and they discussed ways they could continue to work together" (BOSTON HERALD, 12/20). In Boston, Chad Finn reports Minihane "is expected have a new deal soon, and given the recent surge in ratings and the support of Entercom’s new Boston management, any change" on the "Dennis & Callahan Show" at this point "would be stunning" (BOSTON GLOBE, 12/20).
WEST COAST WHEELING: In L.A., Tom Hoffarth writes the lineup changes "about to happen after the first of the year with Fox Sports Radio and the ripple effect it has at Dodger- and UCLA-centric KLAC-AM as it goes up against Lakers- and USC-strong KSPN-AM will be win-win for those who continue to use the medium as a way to get through the day with some semblance of sports sanity." The "PMS Show" goes back to a "local-only feed" from 3:00-7:00pm ET, while Fox Sports Radio moves John "J.T. The Brick" Tournour into that slot "for its national coverage." KLAC-AM's Petros Papadakis on Thursday said, "That five-year run was great, being able to say we were in 300 markets, but I'm happy about this move. I'm born and raised in L.A., all my perspective is L.A., and we were just doing an L.A. show that aired nationally. It was cool to get feedback from all parts of the country." KLAC-AM Program Dir Don Martin is "behind bringing the station back with more local programming" (L.A. DAILY NEWS, 12/20).
