The Josh Innes Show - Mike Missanelli Gets The Boot In Philly

Episode Date: August 11, 2025

For the second time in 3 years, Mike Missanelli has been dumped by 97.5 The Fanatic in Philly. It makes sense because he is inconsequential. That said, no one is going to win there because it's a wasteland. Crossing Broad speculates Jon Marks could get the gig. Hey, he's a good dude and has the right mindset...but, no one will win there. The company that owns the station is also a joke. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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This winter, take a trip to Tampa on Porter Airlines. Enjoy the warm Tampa Bay temperatures and warm Porter hospitality on your way there. All Porter fairs include beer, wine, and snacks, and free fast-streaming Wi-Fi on planes with no middle seats. And your Tampa Bay vacation includes good times, relaxation, and great Gulf Coast weather. Visit Flyporter.com and actually enjoy economy. Well, on, I guess it was Friday, the big news broke that Mike Misenelli got whacked at 975 The Fanatics. So I guess he would have been back for about a year. That always felt kind of weird and forced and kind of like it was never going anywhere.

First of all, never had any impact. No one gave a shit. That was number one there. That's the first thing that stands out to me is I think they thought bringing back Misenelli. and I don't know how much he was making. But they brought back Missonelli. Whatever he was making was far less than he was making when I was there. Because he was, if I had to guess, he was probably the second highest paid sports radio person in town behind Angelou, who was a million-dollar guy.

I think Angelo made a million-plus base. And then after like the endorsements and everything probably made 1.6. I mean, 1.5. Who knows? Maybe a little less than that. But he made a shitload. and he was like the $1 million guy, maybe Preston and Steve, but Preston and Steve worked for the same company as Misenelli,

and that is Beasley, and Beasley is a shit company. And it was well documented that Beasley is a shit company 10 years ago or nine years ago or whatever it was that Beasley took over that station. It's even more so now. It is widely regarded as one of the shittiest companies, and really the shittiest radio company. By far, you know, worst. than Odyssey, worse than Cumulus, worse than IHeart. Beasley is considered the bottom of the

barrel, and I don't even think they want to be in the game anymore. The rumors are that they're planning on selling a lot of stations, a lot of their major stations. There was a story, it was either Thursday or Friday. I saw one of these Boston Media Critic guys on Twitter, and I forgot exactly which one. Maybe it's called Boston Media Critic or Boston Radio Watch or something. And they posted a video of the morning show at the Sports Hub. Now, the Sports Hub is a giant radio station. Huge ratings have been for 15 years. They killed WEEI, basically. I mean, the Sports Hub, for a long time, was a great sounding station, and for a long time has been a dominant radio station, owned by Beasley now. And they haven't even gotten their bonuses from

the spring, and they're talking about this on the air. It is. is a bad company, and they are looking to sell a lot of radio stations. It is not good. And you saw that in Philly a couple months ago. When they fire someone who's been part of the Preston and Steve show for 20-something years, they fire this person because they're trying to save money. And that's on a show that matters. That's on a show that makes money. That's on a successful show. That's how little the people that run Beasley care about these things. You've got a situation like that where they dump someone from a show that is impactful and matters. The biggest radio show in Philadelphia, and has been the case for 15, 20 years,

but longer than that, probably about 20 years, has been one of the biggest shows in the country in terms of ratings, a huge getter of ratings and revenue, and you're firing people from that show. That should be a sign about how bad that company is. Let me play a couple commercials, and we shall continue. Colgate Total is more than just your favorite toothpaste. It's dedicated to advancing oral health. The new Colgate Total Active Prevention System features a reformulated toothpaste, innovative toothbrush,

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Well, he wasn't doing anything, so it's not like they had to lure him away from someone else. He was just pulling his pud doing nothing. Yelling at Fox News, if I had to guess. Crying over Trump, if I had to guess. I don't know. Worshipping Keith Olberman, if I had to guess. Consider him moving to Ireland with Rosie O'Donnell, if I had to guess. I have no idea.

but I would imagine they didn't have to pay him a ton. I have no clue what he was making. I have no idea what the ballpark figure would be like now in Philly. Like, as I've told you before, when I was there, the dudes that were making the bank were like, I think Michael Barcan. Michael Barcan may have been the second highest paid person at WIP when I was there. It was Angelo, and his crew all made some coin because they'd been around forever and they're part of the show. None of them made close to as much as Angelo, but I bet, you know, Ria and everybody and Al and all those guys made a good amount of money. And I would imagine Ria still is because she's grandfathered into that.

They're not just going to slice her in half, I don't think, so I bet Ria still make. Like, it wouldn't shock me, and I have no idea what the morning guys are making, but I can't. It's not even close to Angelo. I may be maybe 20% of what Angelo was making, if that. I can't fathom they are. And for them, that's a lot of cash. For anybody, it's a lot of cash. But if they're making like 150 to 200, they were probably not making that when they were doing middays.

They give them a little bump to move to mornings, make them happy. And here's the thing if you're WIP, and it's kind of like ESPN in that way. If you want to leave, leave. The brand is bigger than anybody that's on the air. Like, do you think if their morning guy, whatever that guy, decamara, like, if that dude walks in there today and is like, I'm out and I'm going to Beasley. And do you think they'd be like, oh, no, please, here's more money? They'll just be like, we'll find another one like you.

Because before we had you, you were over at Beasley and you were doing nothing. So you can go back there. There is nobody. And that's kind of the point that I make a lot about like Stephen A. Smith and guys like that. These people are not the brand. The brand is bigger than them. ESPN is bigger than Stephen A. Smith. For whatever reason, they keep paying Stephen A. Smith and they think that he is this super

valuable guy. Without Stephen A. Smith, ESPN would survive. They survived without Dan Patrick. They survived without Colin Cowher. They survive without Keith Olberman. They survive without Rich Eisen. I mean, they survive without all these guys that think they're big shit. Do you think that WIP couldn't survive without Joe DeCamara or Joe Jillo or any other random northeastern dude named Joe? I mean, Joe, look, Joe Jillo is a wonderfully nice guy. Joe Jillio was writing dinky little stories for NJ.com, and now he's a highly rated midday guy at WIP. Do you think they couldn't find another guy writing at NJ.com and tell him to do call baiting topics and get ratings? Come on.

It's easy. So, like, these people have no real leverage. So I would imagine that guys like that aren't making a ton of cash, making more than I am because I'm making dick. But, like, they can't be making a ton. So back to Missonelli, I would imagine. that Missonelli is probably when he came back, he was making in six figures I don't think he's rolling out of bed, you know, a guy that

probably used to make half a mill a year. I would guess that Missonelli was probably in the four to 500,000 range when he was really cooking base, maybe a little more, maybe a little less, but somewhere in that neighborhood. And I would assume that this time he was, you know, I don't know, buck 50.

I mean, that's just a guess. I have no clue. And they brought him back, and it flopped. now in his defense everything on their flops no one listens i am shocked that they haven't whacked john cancate like that show doesn't make any fucking impact no one cares i'm like they keep that's why they keep taking these dudes who are like producers of these other shows or second bananas on these shows and giving them shows let's read the story from crossing broad

a stunner in philly sports talk radio they call it radio war still which i have no idea why they call it radio wars. There is no war. There is no battle. It's not competitive. Let's see. Sources tell crossing broad that Mike Miscelli was let go by 975 of the fanatic on Friday afternoon. Mike was under contract through the end of the NFL season, so Beasley will pay out the rest of the contract amounting to five months. Edit, it may only be a portion of this. I will double check. I can't imagine they move early with no cost saving. I would agree with that. We're told this as part of another round of cuts at Beasley stations across the country.

Mike was working the midday show with Ray Dunn and Bill Collarulo, who was recently promoted to PM Drive following Tyrone Johnson's departure. You've noticed, like, whenever it's someone that they like and don't want to insult, they use the word departure. But when they don't like you and you got fired, you got fired, and they have no problem with telling you that you got fired. Like, that's a little trick that these guys that write these media stories. If they like you, they'll give you a soft landing and call your getting fired a departure.

When they hate you and you get fired, they'll say something like, you know, following Josh Ennis getting fired unceremoniously. Let's see, this is the second time now that the fanatic and Miss and Ellie have parted ways on less than stellar terms. Miss Nellie up and left back in the summer of 2022 following the fracturing of the relationship with former cluster manager Joe Bell, who is an asshole. That's my editorial there. He led me on. Fuck him. Now he's like doing some sort of like sales shit in some dinky town somewhere. So have that at it, Joe Bell.

Let's see. Obviously, Beasley would not make the move without a replacement lined up. John Marks recently announced his departure from PHLY and expressed interest in working middays is one of the reasons for leaving WIP. Look, I don't know that I've ever met John Marks in person, but I've spoken with him. I've spoken with him recently. Like, every now and then I'll send him a message. He'll send me a message, whatever. I guess he's not doing this thing that seemed like it was destined for failure anyway.

this PHLY thing where like the cuz is making all sorts of fucking decisions they're basically just doing philly sports radio on youtube there's nothing unique about it there's nothing new about it there's nothing innovative about it it's just WIP but in the form of online shit and maybe somebody could say do-do or P-P or something unlike what you can do on WIP fine but nothing innovative and I don't know if he left or I'm guessing he got left and maybe he left to go do middays here and maybe he's just going to cash a check until he can't cash the check anymore. But John Marks, and I say this with no ill will at all because he's a nice guy and he's been very kind to me and I've been very kind to him and I have nothing against him.

If John Marks were taking a job at 97-5, if he were taking a job at Beasley, it is going to fail miserably. It is an unwinnable situation. There is nobody that can go in there. Get it that you had big ratings at WIP in the afternoon. I had big ratings at WIP in the afternoon. At one point, the CUS had big ratings in afternoon at WIP. Now, Spike and his band of Mary gentlemen have big ratings in the afternoon. Joe DeCamra has huge morning ratings.

Joe Gillio has huge midday ratings, okay? You're never going to beat them. And I guess my concern would be, and if you didn't enjoy doing what you were doing at this online thing, then cool. and I guess it all kind of makes sense, but it's going to fail. And, I mean, maybe you'll stay around as long as they're still sports and they don't sell. Maybe you're going there with the hopes that they're going to sell that Beasley's going to sell and a better company is going to own it. But it is an unwinnable situation. And maybe he knows that.

Maybe he's not going there to win. Maybe he's just better hours and he's back on the radio and it's a steady paycheck and maybe so. That could be it if he's the one going there. What is their speculation? Let's see. It would seem that Marx has to be penciled in as candidate number one to replace Mike, unless there's something coming down the pike that we are unaware of. This is a developing story. Okay, I asked around, the contract is guaranteed so they will pay Mike the entirety of it.

That being said, I have no clue what Beasley's play is here. I guess they're just sick of the guy's shit. I don't know. Whatever. The whole situation is lousy. Look, I hope John goes there and makes a lot of money. he does well. But I also hope that they all continue to fail because the asshole that runs the place right now who claim to be a friend of mine has multiple times told me, hey, I'll

give you a call back when there's a job opening. Each time there's been an opening and I've reached out. I said, hey, man, like, look, I'm available, you know, just let me know if there's anything. And multiple times I've been told, hey, I'll give you a call. And then I never got a fucking call. And a friend wouldn't do that to you. And when I learned in the process of trying to find a job is that you kind of find out who your friends are. Even if you're not going to hire me, if you're my friend and you think as highly of me as you claim to think of me, you'd call me. And each time this guy's had an opportunity to call me about something, he's never done it. And he said he will and then he doesn't. And I hope you fail, which I don't have to hope too hard for

because your radio station has no fucking chance. You are. a wasteland. So I don't have to sit here and root for your demise because I don't know what there'd be a demise from. A demise indicates that you were doing something before the demise that was successful. Your radio station is unsuccessful. It's been unsuccessful. It will continue to be unsuccessful. So keep hiring your little producers and your board ops to do your radio shows for you. And even if you bring in John Marks, who I don't want to root against because he's a nice guy and I think he's good at what he does and I think he's passionate and I admire him for that. but he's going to fail and you're all going to fail there no matter who you hire there

because your situation sucks your company sucks the teams you have on the radio station suck your management sucks your talent sucks and wip will continue to bend you over and deliver into you and i hope they do and i wouldn't feel that way if you picked up the phone and just said hey i'm going to give you a call and i'll explain to you why someone who had giant ratings and was the last person that ever made a real splash in radio in Philadelphia, I'll let you know why we didn't call you. Like, I don't think that highly of myself. I don't think that I'm some sort of God's gift or anything like that. But as we talked about many times during that stretch when that job was open in Philadelphia, and maybe I was never going to get that job

and that's totally fine, I get it. You didn't even pick up the fucking phone to call me, which tells me that you're fucking terrible, especially if you knew that you were going to be whacking Missonelli anyway. If you knew that you were going to be whacking Missonelli anyway, like, so it couldn't have been, oh, hey, we're not going to bring him in because of Missonelli. The fact that you didn't even pick up the phone and just give me the decency of telling me why leads me to hoping you fail miserably. I don't have to hope, though, because it's a foregone conclusion. Your radio station blows. More to come.