WIP’s Spike Eskin, a Delaware County resident, was torn between his love of Philadelphia and a chance to replace Mark Chernoff, longtime program director at the New York sports talk radio station, WFAN.

Eskin, brand manager at SportsRadio 94 WIP in Philadelphia, decided to go for it, writes Jeff Blumenthal for Philadelphia Business Journal.

“It was less about leaving Philly and more about leaving the people,” Eskin said.

New York and WFAN were a natural fit. It’s the largest media market in the country, not too far from Philadelphia, and it has the same passionate northeast sports fans.

He’d also get to work again with New York Market Manager Chris Olivero.

Eskin starts as WFAN’s and CBS Sports Radio’s vice president of programming July 1.

Eskin will keep his 76ers-centric podcast “The Rights to Ricky Sanchez,” with screenwriter Michael Levin.

He says he’s proud of the hosts and producers at WIP.

“I’m most proud that this staff looks at other shows and realizes that the more successful they are, the better things will be for them,” Eskin said. “You might have an ego and want to be the most popular person in town, but to do that you need to have these relationships.”

Eskin has been away from Philly before. He left for three years to work as assistant program director at Q101 in Chicago before coming back to Philly to work at WYSP.

WIP took over WYSP’s slot and Eskin switched from music to sports.

Read more at Philadelphia Business Journal about Spike Eskin leaving WIP.