After leaving 97.5 The Fanatic two years ago when his contract was not renewed, Mike Missanelli is back at the station’s Bala Cynwyd studios, happy that he gets to wrap up his career on his own terms, writes Jeff Blumenthal for the Philadelphia Business Journal.

“I didn’t like being dispatched the first time,” he said. “I thought it was a very misguided decision that they made. So I had that kind of in the back of my mind — that was not the way I wanted to go out.”

The hiring of The Fanatic’s new Program Director Scott Masteller was key in Missanelli’s return. The two have known each other for almost two decades. Another factor was the hiring of Paul Blake as Philadelphia market manager for Fanatic parent company Beasley Broadcast Group. He took over for Joe Bell, the same person Missanelli criticized following the non-renewal of his contract in 2022.

“What I appreciate is management now seems very earnest, and Scott and I go way back,” said Missanelli.

The station’s former ratings king’s first show was on August 12.

Read more about Mike Missanelli in the Philadelphia Business Journal.