Howard Eskin and Angelo Cataldi had a somewhat adversarial relationship during their time as hosts on Philadelphia’s 94 WIP.
However, the former sports radio hosts have found common ground on one issue: The radio station ain’t what it used to be.
In what’s become a common refrain in recent days from aging sports talk hosts, the two had plenty to say about how the current era of WIP is a far cry from the one they were a part of.
“I stopped listening,” Cataldi told Eskin on a recent episode of The Howard Eskin Show. “I don’t listen at all anymore. The reason is because I would hear something that I would go, well, no, that’s not the way you should do it. I did it for 33 years. I know how to do it. It got to the point where it was just so frustrating for me that I don’t listen.”
Cataldi’s big beef seems to be a shift in tone, away from the tough talk of the Philly sports radio he knew, towards a more nuanced way of discussing things.
“People emailed me all the time,” Cataldi said. “The Phillies would lose a big playoff game, and the next day the host would talk about how nobly they fought. That’s not the Philadelphia I was in. When you don’t win here, you should pay a price.”
Eskin offered a broader critique of the radio industry, saying that it almost doesn’t matter what sports talk hosts say because the entire genre is in decline.
“People don’t want to turn the radio on anymore,” Eskin said. “Radio is a dying business. It’s sad because both our careers were great for sports talk radio, but it’s a business that’s almost dead.
“I found out within the last week that WIP pays a lot of producers $13 an hour. Nothing against McDonald’s, but you can make more money at McDonald’s. The kids want to get into radio, and I understand that, but that’s so unfair to them. Just be fair to him. That’s all. Just be fair.”
The conversation is a bit awkward for Eskin, as his son, Spike, currently hosts the afternoon show on WIP, though he’s happy to admit he doesn’t fully appreciate how he’s doing it.
“We don’t talk about it,” Eskin said. “He’s a smart guy, and he knows what he’s doing. He plays the radio game the way they play it now, which I don’t totally agree with. We don’t discuss it.
“They have some good people there [94 WIP]. But they don’t have enough good people there, and they’re not alone. Talent doesn’t exist the way it used to in talk radio. It’s just the way it is.”
Cataldi retired from WIP in 2023 following a 33-year run as the morning show host.
Eskin abruptly left WIP in 2024 following a 38-year run. That announcement came months after he was banned from covering the Phillies at Citizens Bank Park, where he was accused of making an unwanted advance toward an Aramark employee. There were also other allegations, one of which Cataldi made public.
About Sean Keeley
Along with writing for Awful Announcing and The Comeback, Sean is the Managing Editor for Comeback Media. Previously, he created the Syracuse blog Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician and wrote 'How To Grow An Orange: The Right Way to Brainwash Your Child Into Rooting for Syracuse.' He has also written non-Syracuse-related things for SB Nation, Curbed, and other outlets. He currently lives in Seattle where he is complaining about bagels. Send tips/comments/complaints to sean@thecomeback.com.