MSG Looking To Acquire Mike Francesa's Radio Talk Show From YES

MSG Looking To Acquire Francesa's Radio Show From YES Network

MSG is "making an aggressive bid to succeed YES as the TV simulcast home of 'Mike'd Up,'" the new name of Mike Francesa's daily radio show, according to a source cited by Neil Best of NEWSDAY. YES Network's contract to air the show "expires at the end of this year, but it had the right to cancel the simulcasts" after Francesa and long-time "Mike & the Mad Dog" co-host Chris Russo split last month. YES decided to keep the show through the end of December, as planned, but sources indicated that Yankees President Randy Levine "long has been interested in severing the relationship." Best writes with the contract ending and the new Yankee Stadium opening in the spring, the Yankees and YES "might conclude this is the time to part ways." YES is "believed to be considering launching its own talk show that would originate" from the new ballpark (NEWSDAY, 9/5).

MAD DOG RADIO: Russo made his debut Thursday as host of Sirius XM Radio's "The Mad Dog Sports Show," and on Long Island, Marcus Henry writes if the first show "was any indication, Russo will pick up where he left off at WFAN." The phone lines "lit up immediately and callers from all over the country chimed in." Fans "still can talk about anything, within reason." The initial show included guests such as NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, Suns F Grant Hill and NBC NFL analyst Jerome Bettis. Russo called his debut show "sort of a trial run" (NEWSDAY, 9/5).