Mr. Microphone: Matt Fantone helms Mix 94.1 morning show in Canton with pep, local content
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CANTON − After hopscotching from radio station to radio station, Matt Fantone thought his career as a DJ might be over.
Fantone had lost a local FM radio gig due to corporate restructuring, soon followed by fewer opportunities during the COVID-19 pandemic.
"I was stuck in this spot like, 'Oh, my gosh, I'm not going to get back into radio," he recalled. "Radio is done for me."
After having worked in the business for a decade plus, the Canton area radio personality found himself in the midst of an identity crisis in 2020.
"I thought, 'Who am I? What am I doing and what is my life all about?'" Fantone said.
But he rebounded with a job at Project REBUILD, a Canton-based nonprofit program that teaches youth construction and life skills.
Even though his new job was deeply rewarding, Fantone's mind still would drift to thoughts of another crack at radio when he drove past the studios of 1480 WHBC and Mix 94.1 FM in downtown Canton.
Local radio news Longtime local radio personality Matt Fantone to host 94.1's new morning show
So when an afternoon DJ slot became available at Mix 94.1 in spring 2022, he jumped at the opportunity. But it wasn't until October that he landed his dream gig − hosting the pop music station's new show, "Mix Mornings With Matt Fantone" from 6 to 10 a.m. weekdays.
"Mornings are the gold standard, it's the premier spot," the 39-year-old Fantone said. "And it's kind of where people identify with a radio station."
Early radio riser: Black coffee, natural pep and distinctive voice
Other than frequent cups of black coffee, Fantone is naturally energized, plowing through studio moments when he rubs fatigue from his eyes. At 6-foot-7, he towers over the control board, rarely taking a seat while broadcasting and either wearing headphones or keeping them slung around his neck.
The lanky radioman moves about the studio even faster than he talks, his voice a prelude to his personality − distinctive and relentlessly peppy, an aural version of Red Bull. A small fan whirs in the corner of the room to keep him from breaking into more of a sweat.
He's a true one-man band. Show preparation starts at 5 a.m., with Fantone researching news online that provides fodder for commentary. Once he's in the studio, he talks on air, cues pop music and WHBC news segments, closely eyes computer screens, answers calls, slides levers and pushes buttons on a console, gives away prizes, scribbles notes with pen and paper, interviews studio guests and occasionally checks a text from his wife.
"I think there are so many more broadcasters who can do things smoother than me," Fantone acknowledged. "But I want it to be real."
From future Marine to Mr. Microphone
A marine is what Fantone first wanted to be when he grew up before discovering his love for talking into a microphone. An elementary school teacher even nicknamed him "Mr. Microphone."
And he's a lifelong fan of music and celebrity, sharing stories of his teenage days when he and his brother would wait at the airport and hotels in Cleveland in hopes of meeting professional wrestling stars like "Stone Cold" Steve Austin and Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson.
Fantone gave college a try at Bowling Green State University before detouring to broadcasting school.
Waiting tables at Max & Erma's followed, as well as radio internships, including at country music and conservative talk stations. In 2007, Fantone took a Greyhound bus to Fresno, California, to work at a station that attempted a radio version of reality television before it disbanded. A DJ stint at an FM station in Flint, Michigan, was next.
The Twinsburg native eventually returned to Ohio to be closer to family, where he made a splash from 2014 to 2020 as co-host of a morning radio show on Rock 106.9 FM in Canton with Dan Stansbury.
That popular show put him on the radar of Joel Murphy, program director for Mix 94.1 and WHBC-FM, part of Alpha Media.
"I think now more than ever, radio seems to resonate more powerfully when it is locally based," Murphy said. "There's a lot of great national shows. 'Dave and Jimmy' was one of those shows (on 94.1), and their syndication deal wrapped up ... and I thought, 'Wow, here's an opportunity to go in a new direction.'"
Where does a local DJ fit in the digital world?
Fantone admits the radio landscape has changed vastly since his entry into the biz.
Satellite radio is a common feature in modern vehicles. Pop music songs are instantly accessible with cellphone streaming. National news is plastered across the internet and available from a plethora of outlets.
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Even so, morning radio is a timeless institution, an integral part of American pop culture and life, both Fantone and Murphy believe.
"It's a pretty competitive market here in Canton, Akron, Cleveland and Youngstown," Murphy said. "We're all playing Taylor Swift, so how do you differentiate yourself with the other stations?"
Serving up hyperlocal content is the calling card for the morning show's core demographic between the ages of 25 and 54, said Fantone, who lives in the Vassar Park neighborhood of Canton with his wife and their 3-year-old daughter and 1-year-old son.
"A lot of people do want this sense of community, that sense that I'm part of something," he said.
"I think that's how radio, and especially morning radio, bolsters itself in the community," Fantone said. "You're the voice in the car, you're with (listeners) as they're by themselves. People feel like they know you. They hear about your kids and things that go on in their lives.
"I'm living the same life that you are − we're in the same community."
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Interspersed amid the Taylor Swift, Olivia Rodrigo, Harry Styles and Doja Cat songs is chatter about Massillon high school football and other Stark County hot topics. Lifestyle and pop culture tidbits run the gamut − McDonald's tinkering with its classic burgers; the link between owning cats and an increased risk of schizophrenia; and the perils of following your ex on social media. Sprinkled in are funny stories about parenting and trying to fix a toilet at home. Guests vary from an angel reader to the director of a Stark County a cappella singing group to Canton's new mayor.
"I still think it sounds as good as the major market stations," Murphy said of Fantone's show. "But I think it has a local flavor that you can only find here.
"This goes for anybody who is successful in radio," he added. "Matt is the same off air as on. He's authentic. People can pick up on BS pretty quickly and if you're faking it and if you're not legit, and he is legit."
In this corner ... Matt 'Babyface' Fantone
Fantone shines brightest when he's simply himself and freestyling behind the microphone. Charismatic, highly likeable, amusing, relatable. And willing to delve into sensitive topics like the Tusky Valley school bus crash or bomb threats at a Stark County school.
"He has some dynamic range," Murphy said. "He not only talks about pop culture stuff, (but) he also leans into the local aspect, and he can talk to a football player and then 10 minutes later he's talking about suicide prevention or something."
Clay Church, operations manager for WHBC-AM and Mix 94.1, said Fantone has evolved since the days when the two worked together at a radio station in Flint, Michigan.
"Matt is one of the most genuine people I have ever met," he said. "The unique thing about Matt is that he can be both 100% genuine and not take himself too seriously at the same time.
"He is constantly trying to get better at what he does, all while lifting the people around him," Church said. "... He can make you feel comfortable listening (and laughing), and he has the breadth to take on very serious topics without losing any of his genuine personality.
"He really spent time learning everything he could from everyone around him," he added. "His time outside of radio working with non-profits in Canton also helped him to see things from a new perspective."
Shock jock antics aren't Fantone's thing. Neither is being a provocateur chasing high ratings. Topics are curated with the audience in mind. Even when opining on presidential politics or marijuana laws, he does so tactfully and without being heavy-handed or agenda driven.
Compared to his edgier days at Rock 106.9 WRQK, Fantone is now a babyface (good guy) and not a heel (bad guy), he admitted with a laugh. And his own musical tastes range from Taylor Swift to Nickelback to country and Western swing band Mike and the Moonpies.
"I think everything is just a caricature of me," Fantone said. "You take the elements of you that are the most distinct, then you try to pump them up and try to maximize them, and you try to draw attention to those things."
'It's the position to me that's impressive.'
Fantone openly discussed the spectrum of radio, from being a local celebrity to losing jobs due to management changes and corporate decisions.
"It is very fleeting, and in a blink of an eye, you don't have that attention and you are just a dude who used to be on radio who is spending five bucks on pump one at the gas station.
"It's the position to me that's impressive," he said. "... And I will never take that for granted. I will always be appreciative for someone coming up to me and saying, 'I listen to you.'"
Rapping with Matt Fantone
Following a lengthy interview, Mix 94.1 morning radio host Matt Fantone answered rapid-fire questions about pop culture and other random stuff.
What would you do on day one if elected president of the United States?
"I would like to think, in some capacity, reframing healthcare and how it works in this country ... would be an immediate priority for me."
Are you a Swiftie?
"Yes! She is a pop star at the peak of her power right now."
Favorite restaurants in Stark County
"Loby's and all of their franchises. I love Loby's Irish Pub and Grill, that is one of our favorites. And Basil (Asian Bistro) and Deli Ohio (in downtown Canton)."
Favorite albums
"Guns N' Roses' 'Appetite for Destruction' was just such an important part of me coming of age and understanding adolescence − it was dangerous, it was cool. And 'Exile on Main St.' by The Rolling Stones is on the short list."
Something you do people wouldn't expect
"I pretty much start every day meditating, and I journal."
Stark County radio influences
"There's so many icons of Canton radio, and (the late) Freddie the Frog (Rock 106.9) is on the short list. "
Why does he have a large tattoo of Abraham Lincoln on his arm?
"Abraham Lincoln certainly (ranks among) my favorite Americans. ... (And) I do think there's a lot to be learned and appreciated."
The last book you read
"'Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance' by Angela Duckworth."
Favorite concerts
"I was just unbelievably impressed with Taylor Swift's performance. I was just blown away by Lady Gaga. Hall & Oates was fantastic live."
Reach Ed at ebalint@gannett.com. On X (formerly Twitter) @ebalintREP and Instagram at ed_balint
This article originally appeared on The Repository: Matt Fantone gives morning radio a jolt in Canton with Mix 94.1 show
