Craig Carton’s Return to WFAN Raises Questions for Colleagues
The return of Craig Carton to WFAN has left Brandon Tierney and Sal Licata in a bit of an uncertain spot. Don La Greca from ESPN is openly skeptical about this decision.
La Greca, who previously co-hosted with Michael Kay, doesn’t seem thrilled about Carton’s comeback to the afternoon drive slot. He shared his thoughts on the new show with Alan Hearn and Peter Rosenberg, expressing, “We’re saying they’re not our competition, so, honestly, I think this is a bad move. Brandon Tierney and Sal Licata are really talented; they belong in talk radio.”
Interestingly, ESPN New York isn’t seen as a rival to WFAN, especially since it airs on AM 880 WHSQ, which is part of WFAN’s parent company, Audacy.
La Greca emphasized that both Licata and Tierney could navigate these changes effectively. He added, “Right now, this business is in a tough position. You know, looking at those two, it feels like there are two empty chairs when the music stops. It’s disheartening. They both have families to support, and I think this is genuinely a mistake. They’re friends of mine, and New York is worse off without them.”
With Carton returning, Evan Roberts and Tiki Barber have been shifted from their 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. slot to the midday hours. Meanwhile, the futures of Licata and Tierney seem a bit cloudy.
Rosenberg weighed in, voicing frustration about the competitive nature of the industry. “What I dislike about this business is that when opportunities arise for some—deserving or not—others kind of get left behind. In this market, there aren’t many chances like that. It’s really tough. There’re only so many places to work,” he said, clearly feeling for his colleagues.
In light of Carton’s return, Tierney shared insights about the situation behind the scenes. “Yesterday was tough,” he said. “People might wonder why we didn’t discuss it on air while things were shaking out. The reason is simple—we’re professionals. I’ve talked to the executives; there’s no deal yet, but we know Craig is coming back. We’re not trying to mislead anyone. We’ll provide more details as we move forward.”
This makes it Carton’s third time at WFAN. He initially joined the morning slot with Boomer Esiason from 2013 until 2017, took a break due to legal issues, then briefly returned in late 2020 before leaving again for Fox Sports 1 in June 2023.
