Francesa Headed To New York Hall

4-29-14 

WFAN's longtime afternoon host will be inducted into the New York State Broadcasters Hall of Fame June 13. Francesa has been with WFAN for over 25 years, nearly since day one when the station signed on in 1987 as the first Sports Talk station in America. Francesa said, ?I?m humbled and excited to be recognized by the New York State Broadcasters Association. It is a great honor, and anything with New York attached to it means all the more to me."

Since 2008, Francesa has hosted his own afternoon show, Mike?s On, on WFAN. From 1989 to 2008, he hosted with Chris ?Mad Dog? Russo, who now has his own channel on SiriusXM. In 2000, the Francesa/Russo duo became the first Sports Talk hosts ever to win the Marconi Award for Major Market Personality of the Year, an award Francesa received again in 2012. He was the first sportscaster to ever earn radio?s biggest honor more than once. Both Talkers Magazine and Radio Ink have named Francesa as the No. 1 Sports Talk host in the country the past two years.

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Kay Replaces Francesa On YES Network

1-22-14

The YES Network has reached a multi-year agreement with ESPN Radio for YES to simulcast ESPN New York 98.7 FM?s The Michael Kay Show live starting February 3 (3-7:00 pm ET). YES Network President, Production and Programming John J. Filippelli, said, "We also thank Mike Francesa for his 12-year partnership with YES.  Mike ? along with Chris Russo when they co-hosted our simulcast for the first six years ? played an important role in the launch and growth of YES. We wish him all the best.?

Traug Keller, senior vice president, production business divisions, ESPN, said, ?The team of Michael Kay and Don LaGreca has been a staple of ESPN New York since 2002. We are pleased to work with YES to increase the show?s exposure, allowing New York sports fans another outlet to enjoy compelling content.?

Kay has been the play-by-play man for YES? New York Yankees telecasts, and the host of the network?s CenterStage with Michael Kay interview show, since the network launched in March 2002. He also hosts various programming specials on YES. Kay has won seven New York Emmy Awards and has earned 23 Emmy nominations during his tenure at YES. He began his ESPN New York radio hosting duties in 2002. 

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Francesa Still On Top Without The Dog

12-24-13

New York Newsday has the details on the latest ratings in New York City where Radio Ink's #1 Sports Talker, Mike Francessa, continues to dominate his time slot. Since his old partner, Chris "Mad Dog" Russo left for Sirius in 2008, Francessa has never lost a step in the ratings. ESPN New York's Michael Kay (who does 3p-7p with Don LaGreca) finished seventh in the fall with a 4.3 share, his best rating to date and the highest ranking for a show in the station's history. Francesa told Newsday, "If that's the dent, good luck to him. Maybe I'll be able to find him in about another 50 years at this rate."

Read the Newsday piece HERE

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Francesa Simulcast to End on YES

12-15-13

The Yankees Entertainment & Sports Network has carried a simulcast of Francesa's WFAN show for over ten years. The Daily News is reporting that Francesa's show will be replaced by ESPN-98.7?s ?The Michael Kay Show,? at the end of January. The paper quotes a TV executive who says the show had just become to expensive and "far exceeding what YES will pay to air the simulcast of Kay?s ESPN show."

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WFAN's Mike Francesa is Number One Sports Talker in America

12-21-12

It would be hard to imagine heading home from work, stuck in traffic on the Long Island Expressway, and Mike Francesa not being there to make that ride tolerable. The WFAN icon tops the list of local sports talkers on Radio Ink's inaugural listing of the Top Thirty Local Sports Talkers in America.

Francesa is recognized as the Godfather of Sports Talk having been a part of the early, and sometimes difficult, days at the first sports talk station to ever launch. He's been a household name in New York ever since. "I have incredible affection and love for my audience, because my audience put me here and has kept me here for 25 years," Francesa told Radio Ink.  ESPN New York's Michael Kay comes in second on our list and Mike Mulligan & Brian Hanley finished third.

Here's a look at the entire list.
Download a PDF of the 30 Top Talkers as it appears in Radio Ink Magazine

This is the first year Radio Ink has put out this list, and we believe it?s long overdue. Many names on this first list of top local sports talk personalities are pioneers in the Sports Talk format, and still going strong. Others have been entertaining listeners, ribbing callers, and posting big ratings for years. In fact, the people on this list have well over 400 combined years of sports talk experience. And many of our 2012 stars not only have longevity in the format, but loyalty to their stations.

Here are some interesting facts we uncovered in our research for this issue: New York City, Chicago, and Boston are the most competitive sports markets in America, CBS and Entercom produce talented sports talk hosts like Purdue produces chickens, and former or current sportswriters and TV sportscasters occupy quite a few positions in Sports Talk radio.

These sports superstars come to us from every daypart, from big cities where the competition for ratings is fierce, and from small towns where they moonlight at their local high school or college as public address announcers. One team on our list is made up of a group of guys who grew up on the same block and were in the same kindergarten class.

We?ve named individuals, duos, teams, and crews. As long as they?re not syndicated, are focused on the local sports scene, and were nominated by their station or company, they were eligible to be on our list. Following the nominations, our panel of sports experts went to work to determine the order.

So let the debate begin. Here is our list of the 30 Top Local Sports Talkers in Radio for 2012.

#1) Mike Francesa - WFAN in New York
?It is no surprise to any of us at CBS Radio that Mike has been awarded this outstanding honor as he has been unquestionably the dominant personality in the format for over two decades now and counting. His iconic position in afternoon drive on the nation?s # 1 sports station in the nation?s # 1 market has become the gold standard in our industry and we are proud to see his contributions and accomplishments being recognized with such a deserving distinction.?      Chris Oliviero, Senior Vice President, Programming, CBS RADIO.

#2) Michael Kay - WEPN (ESPN) in New York
#3) Mike Mulligan & Brian Hanley - WSCR-AM (CBS) in Chicago
#4) John Dennis & Gerry Callahan - WEEI (Entercom) in Boston
#5) Gary Radnich - KNBR (Cumulus) in San Francisco
#6) Eric Bickel, John-Paul Flaim, Jason Bishop and John Auville (The Sports Junkies) - WJFK (CBS) in DC
#7) Boomer & Carton - WFAN in New York
#8) Angelo Cataldi - WIP (CBS) in Philadelphia
#9) Tom Waddle and Marc Silverman - WMVP (ESPN) in Chicago
#10) George Dunhm, Craig Miller and Keith Gordon - KTCK (Cumulus) in Dallas
#11) Charlie Pallilo - KBME (Clear Channel) in Houston
#12) Dan McNeil - WSCR (CBS) in Chicago
#13) Petros & Money - KLAC (Clear Channel) L.A.
#14) Brian Murphy and Paul Mccaffrey - KNBR (Cumulus) in San Francisco
#15) Mike Gastineau - KJR (Clear Channel) Seattle (Mike retired after our issue published)
#16) Glenn Ordway & Michael Holley - WEEI (Entercom) Boston
#17) Randy Galloway - KESN (ESPN) in Dallas
#18) Fred Toettcher & Rich Shertenlieb - WBZ-FM (CBS) in Boston
#19) Sandy Clough - KKFN (Lincoln) in Denver
#20) Tom Tolbert - KNBR (Cumulus) San Francisco
#21) Mitch Levy - KJR (Clear Channel) in Seattle
#22) Michael Joseph - WYGM (Clear Channel) Orlando
#23) Jeremy White and Howard Simon - WGR-AM (Entercom) in Buffalo
#24) Mike Schopp & Chris Parker - WGR-AM (Entercom) Buffalo
#25) Jody Oehler - KFFN - (Journal) in Tucson
#26) Adam Gold and Joe Ovies - WCMC (Capitol) Raleigh
#27) John Bishop and Mike'l Severe - KOZN (NRG) in Omaha
#28) Bob Fescoe - KCSP (Entercom) Kansas City
#29) Matt Moscona - WNXX (Guaranty) in Baton Rouge
#30) Joby Fawcett - WEJL ( Shamrock) Scranton

To order a copy of this issue call 561-655-8778

(12/22/2012 5:27:31 AM)
No hosts from the sports hub in Boston? Felger and Mazz with heart throb bertrand is tops in this market
(12/21/2012 11:43:37 PM)
Angelos Cataldi isn't even the best in Philly. That spot belongs to Mike Missanelli.
(12/21/2012 8:55:02 PM)
"Brazil: Tests Tech Before Implementation"

"After extensive testing of Both HD Radio and DRM, the Secretary of the Ministry of Communications Electronic Communications, Genildo Lins, said the tests of the two technologies have had poor results, especially high-power FM. The testing demonstrated the digital signal coverage is approximately 70% of the current analog signal. The future of radio is digital, but that future is not yet. We are unable to make a decision on these results.

http://www.engineeringradio.us/blog/2012/12/brazil-the-place-where-they-test-tech-before-it-is-implemented/

(12/21/2012 7:10:47 PM)
I'm a fan in Detroit and I'm shocked that Mike Valenti and Terry Foster are not on your list. Valenti is not only honest and articulate but entertaining as well. He can debate anybody in Sports and unlike most hosts, he will admit when he was wrong. Terry Foster brings his 20+ years of experience in the Detroit market. On the show, Terry usually is the voice of the fans, while Mike is the voice of the "how it is".
(12/21/2012 1:21:57 PM)
Two other shows not mentioned and should be. Border Patrol (Steven St. John and Nate Bukaty) on Sports Radio 810 WHB in Kansas City and Jason Anderson on ESPN 680 in Louisville. Great local sports radio from all these guys.

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