Giovanni Retirement Reality Hits 4/29

• It was just over two months ago when we first learned that Giovanni, a beloved fixture on Cumulus Top 40 92PRO-FM/Providence for the past 50 years — the last 25 in mornings — announced his impending retirement, effective April 29. A quick glance at the calendar now brings that date sharply into focus, as the station confirmed that Giovanni’s final morning broadcast will indeed happen next Monday, April 29, from 6-10am.

Giovanni, whose given name is Daniel Centofanti, joined 92PRO-FM in 1974 as a teenage intern and worked his way up through the ranks — and into the hearts of several generations of PRO-FM listeners. Now, to celebrate PRO-FM’s 50 years as a Top 40 station — and Giovanni’s half-century of service — 92PRO-FM will air a “Gio Takeover Weekend” next Saturday, April 27 from 9am-2pm and Sunday from Noon-2pm. The special programming will feature some of the biggest hits that the station broke worldwide (including Britney Spears’s monster hit, “… Baby, One More Time” in 1999), and Giovanni will share his memories, as well as celebratory messages for Gio and the station from colleagues, artists, celebrities and more.

The station is also hosting a private party celebrating Giovanni on April 30. Listeners can enter to win a ticket to the party here.

Holly Paras, RVP/Market Manager, Cumulus Providence-New London, said, “As we celebrate 50 years of Top 40 radio on 92PRO-FM, I want to express my gratitude to Giovanni for his commitment to this radio station for its entire run, providing entertaining and fun content and most importantly, for the connection he’s made with our community. I wish Gio the very best in his retirement.”

Giovanni commented, “WPRO-FM has been my home for 50 years, but I chose April 29th for my final show as that is the day in 1974 that we became a Top 40 station. It has been an honor to play the hits all these years, work with amazing teammates and, most of all, get to know all our wonderful listeners in Southern New England!” Gio added, He added, “Radio may have changed in 50 years, but what has not is the amazing connections that we make in our communities, and that is what I will miss the most. It’s been an honor to be behind the mic and play the hits for 50 years at 92PRO-FM. I am the luckiest guy in radio!”