Longtime WFAN-AM sports talk host Mike Francesa said he will leave the station "at the end of '17" when his current contract expires. Appearing on a podcast with FS1's Katie Nolan, Francesa said, "I’ve agreed to stay through the end of ’17. We talked about me leaving earlier, we discussed it. They didn’t really want it, they didn’t really give me a chance to get out. They never offered me a reasonable way out. So at the end of ’17, there will be no more FAN. That I promise.” He said that does not mean he is "leaving the business." Francesa: "I’m leaving Monday to Friday five-and-a-half hours FAN. I am bringing the curtain down on that part of the show. ... I'm not saying I am not going to work again" (“Garbage Time With Katie Nolan Podcast,” FOXSPORTS.com, 1/19). In N.Y., Bob Raissman notes Francesa over the past two years "has complained about the way WFAN was being run by CBS Radio, which owns the station." Future talks with WFAN/CBS "would be tough," as the radio business "is not what it once was when Francesa negotiated his last contract," worth close to $4M per year. It is "not a reach to suggest he would be looking at a substantial pay cut if he remains at WFAN" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 1/20). On Long Island, Neil Best notes while Francesa has "hinted strongly in the past that he would not re-sign" beyond his current deal, he had "not previously said so as emphatically as he did" while talking to Nolan (NEWSDAY, 1/20).
