The role of the WFAN program director in New York is similar to that of the Yankees or Mets manager. A person's daily decisions about who to broadcast and what to say are subject to public debate, as if filling out a lineup card and doing a double switch.
That's why when someone like Spike Eskin leaves his job as program director after just over two years, there's a visceral reaction on social media similar to that of the station's callers.
“He was terrible. Oh, thank God!”
“His job to destroy WFAN is complete!“
“This is the best news I've heard in a while. What he has done to this station is a disgrace. Pay whatever it takes to bring Chernoff back.”
It's a testament to the power of WFAN, which entered the late '30s as a station whose Twitter users were nostalgic for the days of the aforementioned Mark Chernoff, as if they were Billy Martin.
Meanwhile, the station remains a ratings monster, and with ESPN New York currently scheduled to exit FM broadcasts at the end of this summer, Eskin leaves FAN in a strong position. The lineup has been decided, starting with the morning giants “Boomer & Gio”, and includes “Brandon Tierney & Sal Licata” and “Evan & Tiki”.
Eskin, a Philadelphia native, is leaving by choice to join Ike Reese as the lead duo of WIP's afternoon program. Eskin will be in the same shoes as his father, Howard, who was Philadelphia's Mike Francesa in his prime.
Today's fans are not fans of Chernov. Chernoff's secret sauce didn't do much. After decades of watching “Idolmaster” in the morning and “Mike and the Mad Dog” in the afternoon, it becomes easier. But Chernoff also surrounded himself with stars like Steve Summers and Easy Listen characters like Richard Neal, giving the station a natural rhythm each year. As much as Chernoff was wasting fans' money, he was also stingy with lineup changes.
Because the media world has changed, Eskin's fans have had to be different, too. Eskin, along with Audacity New York president Chris Oliviero (who, in my analogy, is similar to the Yankees and Mets GM), are helping the station evolve with the times. For the evening, Summers was replaced by black host Keith McPherson.
At the end of 2017, FAN attempted to evolve for the first time. Francesa was replaced by Chris Carlin, Maggie Gray, and Bart Scott. After setting one-book ratings records, Francesa was back on the airwaves in an uninspiring comeback, with ESPN New York (from the eternal Mets to the Yankees fans) saying that “The Michael Kay Show” had Francesa I was able to experience the thrill of defeating them and becoming the ratings champion. Francesa left again.
Craig Carton returned, won some ratings books, then left to make a fortune in national cable television, but in a strange but perhaps not unexpected development, even more without FAN's bullhorns. Became anonymous.
In his place, the next episode of the afternoon will feature Evan Roberts, Tiki Barber, and sidekick Sean Morash. They're doing well numbers-wise, but they're still finding their way as a completely must-see show.
In the middle of the day, Eskin puts Brandon Tierney and Sal Licata in charge of bringing passion to the station. They could have added a little more nuance to their show, but radio is an attention game, and Tierney's “We Can't Kill!” September rant about the Jets ultimately proved wrong. However, it was a memorable radio show.
These are different, more transitional times in media. Eskin's move is a perfect example of this. He's honing his on-air chops as co-host of his 76ers podcast called “Ricky Sanchez's Rights.” Now he plans to return home and see if he can do what his father did. FAN will find a new leader who will be well known to our listeners.
It's actually incredible to think of what condition this place is still in, all these years after Sujin Waldman uttered her first words on this station on July 1, 1987. We may have social media and podcasts, but FAN is still very important.
That's why it makes sense for someone like Eskin to leave FAN after just 2 ¹/₂ years. It's part of the core of New York sports. This is a place to express opinions, and the fact that so many people are voicing their opinions on this change in program director shows that FAN is in a strong position after Eskin, although they are certainly different. This is the evidence.
