Longtime Philly radio host Matt Cord will serve as the late Pierre Robert\u2019s successor for WMMR\u2019s midday slot starting next month, the station\u2019s parent company, Beasley Media Group, announced Monday.<\/p>\n
\u201cNobody replaces Pierre \u2014 let\u2019s make that clear,\u201d Cord said in a statement. \u201cI promise to carry his amazing spirit into the studio bearing his name and do my best to make him proud.\u201d<\/p>\n
Cord will take on Robert\u2019s former time slot starting Dec. 1, and leaves behind the morning slot at WMGK he took on in 2023 following fellow radio veteran John DeBella\u2019s retirement<\/a>. Cord previously helmed the midday time slot at WMMR briefly in the 1990s, when Robert switched to mornings, and his return to the rock station marks his third run there. <\/p>\n A replacement for Cord at WMGK is expected to be announced \u201cin the coming weeks,\u201d Beasley said. <\/p>\n A longtime friend of Robert\u2019s, Cord has been appearing on the air in Philadelphia for about 40 years, and, in addition to stints at WMMR and WMGK, previously hosted mornings at BEN-FM and helmed the afternoon drive slot at Y-100. In addition to his radio work, Cord has served as the Sixers\u2019 in-arena announcer for more than 20 years.<\/p>\n Despite his Philly radio pedigree, Cord, a Glen Mills<\/a> native, noted that \u201cno one can step into [Robert\u2019s] sparkling high-top Converse and fill them.\u201d Instead, he said, he hopes to \u201ccarry on\u201d Robert\u2019s role in tribute.<\/p>\n \u201cEveryone at the station is so grateful that our longtime friend and radio family member Matt Cord is willing to take that on,\u201d WMMR program director Chuck Damico said. \u201cNo one can replace Pierre, but I know that Matt can do him proud and Pierre would absolutely 100% approve of this. We will all continue to honor Pierre in everything we do forever.\u201d<\/p>\n Robert, 70, was found dead in is home in Gladwyne on Oct. 29<\/a>, prompting an outpouring of grief from friends and fans. A Northern California native, Robert joined WMMR as an on-air host in 1981, and quickly became one of Philadelphia\u2019s most distinctive and well-liked radio personalities.<\/p>\n Following Robert\u2019s death, hundreds of fans and friends flooded Rittenhouse Square, one of the late radio host\u2019s favorite spots in Philadelphia. Among those who showed up to honor him were WXPN host Jim McGuinn, B101 host and former Preston & Steve cohost Kathy Romano, a slew of WMMR staffers, and Cord himself, The Inquirer previously reported<\/a>.<\/p>\n