Music Host Bob Pantano
Bob Pantano is now the host of Dance Party Radio on 98.1 HD 2 and Audacy. Streaming Live 24/7. The exclusive home of The Saturday Night Dance Party.
Bob Pantano, a South Philadelphia native, started spinning at the record hops in the late 1960s and then the nightclubs in the 1970s. His professional radio career began on WCAM in Camden, New Jersey in 1971. Bob pioneered the live-radio broadcast, *The Saturday Night Dance Party*, in 1977, which airs every Saturday night live from 7:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m. and has enthralled and entertained Philadelphia audiences with its upbeat dance music.
Bob’s entertaining and engaging banter have kept the crowds returning year after year, building a captive and loyal audience. During the past 45 years his Live Radio Dance Party has been broadcast from various hotels, nightclubs and casinos. Hundreds of thousands of Delaware Valley residents have met, danced and even fallen in love to that special mix of music that Bob Pantano’s *Saturday Night Dance Party* is well known for. Bob’s knack for playing the best record hop tunes of the '60s along with the dance club classics of the '70s, '80s, and '90s has made him a celebrity in the Delaware Valley.
In 2007, Bob was inducted into The Temple University School of Communications and Theater Hall of Fame and received a sidewalk plaque on the Wildwood Avenue of the Stars.
In 2008, Bob was inducted into The Broadcast Pioneers Hall of Fame.
On June 25th, 2014, Bob was honored with The Phillies Gamble & Huff Community Partnership Award during the 11th annual Phillies African American Heritage Celebration presented by The Sound of Philadelphia at Citizens Bank Park.
On November 20th, 2015, Bob was honored with The Broadcast Pioneers 2015 Person of the Year.
On October 4th, 2017, Bob was inducted into The Philadelphia Music Alliance Walk of Fame on Broad Street. Bob’s plaque is found in front of the Kimmel Center (Kimmel Cultural Campus).
On April 9th, 2024, one of Bob’s greatest accomplishments took place when the street he grew up on in South Philadelphia was officially renamed Bob Pantano Way. The block of Federal Street between Sixth and Seventh Streets now carries his name as a tribute to his lifelong impact on the community.
Looking ahead, Bob will be proudly serving as the Grand Marshal of the Columbus Day Parade in Philadelphia in October, 2025.
From Bob’s days of spinning records at the hops in the late 1960s to his move into nightclubs in the 1970s, to bringing those nostalgic moments back to packed audiences today. Bob’s highly acclaimed reputation in radio, television and area concerts is unsurpassed in the region, making him a celebrated Philly Success!