January 21–28, 1999
on media
Direct Action
This month marks some big changes for Philadelphia's largest public radio station, WHYY-91 FM. Bill Fantini took over last week as news director, following four months at the station with that position vacant. And political reporter Vincent Thompson recorded his last news piece for WHYY earlier this month.
Fantini's voice is already familiar to frequent listeners of 91 FM (90.9). He began freelancing for the station this past August, regularly filling in for Morning Edition's local host Martin Wells and filing news reports.
"Since I was already working in the building, I have a 'fly-on-the-wall' perspective," he says. "It's a good way to come in."
Fantini has no plans to revamp the news department or alter the programming now airing on the station.
"WHYY is already moving in a wonderful direction, with a strong level of commitment to news," he says. "My primary objective is to continue that and fine-tune it."
After working strictly as a freelancer the past few years and having control over his time, Fantini wondered if it would be difficult to be in an office every day.
"Last Monday, the only thing I wrote on my calendar was, 'Go to work,'" he says, laughing. "I thought it might be hard to do, after living the freelance life, but I'm doing what I love most here."
Fantini replaces Robbie Harris, who left WHYY in September to become news director for the Chicago public radio station WBEZ.
Through the early 1970s and 1980s, Fantini was well known around Philadelphia as an anchor and news director for radio stations WIOQ and WYSP. Since then, he has worked for NBC's The Source Radio Network, ABC Radio Network, WABC New York and served as dean of faculty at the American Academy of Broadcasting.
More recently, Fantini worked as a producer, writer and announcer for a television station owned by Suburban Cable, called the NewsChannel.
As a freelancer, he kept busy recording commercial voiceovers, narrating short stories sold on CD and cassette and filling in at WHYY and WXPN.
Station staffers say there was a bit of concern that Fantini has little experience in "the public radio world," because he gained nearly all of his experience at commercial stations.
But Fantini's knowledge of local news seems to outweigh that skepticism. "Public radio is a mix of long-form pieces and short bits of news—Bill seems very committed to that formula," one source says.
And then there is the departure of reporter Vincent Thompson, who brought listeners City Hall debates and election coverage for nearly four years. He left the station Jan. 3, to tackle the position of "community relations manager" for the Philadelphia Housing Authority.
Recent changes in management did not influence Thompson's decision to move on, he says. "I left because of a great opportunity, not because of any disagreements with the station."
