John Kincade leaving 97.5 The Fanatic, but he’s not retiring

Five years after returning to Philadelphia, John Kincade is leaving 97.5 The Fanatic.

“After a great deal of thought, I’ve decided that this summer will be the right time for me to step away from mornings at The Fanatic,” Kincade said in a statement.

His final show will be July 31. Andrew Salciunas will continue as host of The Fanatic’s morning show.

While the station has undergone numerous lineup changes the past few years, Kincade said his decision stemmed from a battle with colon cancer, which he was diagnosed with in 2023 and later defeated after previously overcoming non-Hodgkin lymphoma and testicular cancer.

“I’m totally healthy and I’m totally fine. But after talking to my doctors, one of the things brought up to me was 4 a.m. was not the best for me,” Kincade said on his show Wednesday.

Knowing he couldn’t committ to the show long term, Kincade decided to walk away now rather than when his contract expires at the end of the year, which would be in the middle of the Eagles’ season. But he’s not walking away from the business entirely.

“I’m not retiring,” Kincade added. “But one thing I will not do is work again where I have to wake up with an alarm clock.”

Where that will be remains an open question. Kincade and his wife plan to relocate and have already sold their house.

Kincade had nothing but praise for his bosses at the station, especially for giving him the opportunity to remain on the air for the next couple of months — “When you say you’re leaving, they usually hand you a cardboard box,” he noted.

The feelings were mutual.

“John’s connection with Philadelphia sports fans is genuine and special,” said Paul Blake, the vice president and market manager Beasley Media Group Philadelphia. “He helped strengthen our morning franchise and brought an incredible level of energy and commitment to the station every single day.”

Kincade, a veteran sports talker, joined The Fanatic in 2021 in an overhaul of its morning show, which had previously been hosted by Marc Farzetta. A Temple graduate and Broomall native, Kincade spent two decades at 680 The Fan in Atlanta before being let go as part of cutbacks stemming from the COVID pandemic.

While Kincade said it was his decision to leave 97.5, his departure is just the latest in a revolving door of personalities as The Fanatic works to find a niche alongside market-leading 94.1 WIP and the digital forces putting pressure on just about every radio station.

Recently, The Fanatic did away with local programming on weekdays following Unfiltered with Bill Colarulo and Ricky Botallico. As part of that move, former Bucks County Courier Times reporter Kevin Cooney announced his departure from the station, writing on social media he was looking for a place that valued his “experience & knowledge of the market.”

Last year, the station said goodbye to both Mike Missanelli and Tyrone Johnson, who now co-hosts a podcast with WFAN sports talker and one time WIP-host Craig Carton. And over the past couple of years the departures include former Daily News reporter Bob Cooney, current WIP host Hunter Brody, and Jen Scordo.