N.Y. DAILY NEWS
Mike Francesa approached Entercom President David Field directly and "accepted a 'significant pay cut' compared to his previous salary" in order to return to WFAN, according to sources cited by Andrew Marchand of the N.Y. POST. Francesa, who is "expected to begin hosting in the afternoons again" early next month, had been making around $3M before "deciding to 'retire' Dec. 15." The exact "amount of the pay cut is not known." Sources said that the decision to "bring Francesa back occurred above" WFAN VP/Programming Mark Chernoff’s head. Chernoff was "not a proponent of bringing Francesa back." Meanwhile, Chris Russo said that he "brokered talks with SiriusXM" in which he would have paired with his former on-air partner "once a week." Francesa would have hosted "solo programs on other days." However, Marchand noted Francesa had "no interest in following Russo, and the money was not what he desired." His new show is "expected to run" from 3-6:30pm ET each weekday (N.Y. POST, 4/25). The show "could stretch out" to 7:00pm once "baseball season is over" (Newark STAR-LEDGER, 4/25). On Long Island, Neil Best notes after Francesa and Russo "jokingly and obliquely referenced WFAN’s struggles" on MLB Network last month, Chris Carlin -- who is part of the team that replaced Francesa -- "texted both men with a strongly worded expression of displeasure." Russo yesterday on his SiriusXM Radio show indicated that Carlin "was 'out of line' and suggested Francesa was upset by the text" (NEWSDAY, 4/25).
NOT A TYPICAL TUESDAY: NEWSDAY's Best notes Boomer Esiason and Gregg Giannotti spend the opening half-hour of their WFAN morning show today discussing Francesa, with Esiason saying the return "just looks pathetic." Esiason and Giannotti said that they "understood the move from a business perspective but were concerned over the impact" on afternoon hosts Carlin, Maggie Gray and Bart Scott, who will have "diminished roles." Esiason: "Radio can be a real sewer pit, and there’s a lot of backstabbing and knife-throwing and all that other stuff that goes on. We try to stay above all that stuff, but unfortunately you can’t, and three people basically have gotten screwed. ... They have gotten screwed by a guy who said he was never going to be on this radio station who decided to come back because of some conspiracy to keep him off the air. I have no idea what the hell that means." Giannotti said, "Yesterday was one of those days I will never forget. Personally, it made me feel a little uneasy the entire day." Esiason added, "It was really kind of a surreal day. It was a dysfunctional day" (NEWSDAY.com, 4/25).
TAKING THE HIGH ROAD: Carlin, Gray and Scott addressed the reports on their show yesterday. Carlin said, “We’re not going anywhere. We’re going to be a big part of this radio station for a long time. This is a business, and you are talking about someone in Mike who was wildly successful for 30 years, so it only makes business sense to welcome somebody like that back into the fold.” Carlin noted Francesa’s return is “awkward,” but they will “keep doing our show, whenever that is.” Gray said the station is a “powerhouse, and it’s not one person, it’s all of us collectively that makes the powerhouse.” Gray: “There’s room for all of us here and all of our voices can be heard” (“The Afternoon Drive,” WFAN-AM, 4/24). The POST's Marchand writes Francesa's "total disregard" for Carlin, Gray and Scott actually "may be the best thing that could happen to them as a team." They were "put in an impossible spot" replacing Francesa in the first place, and they now are "sympathetic in some respects." They also now "have a chance to develop chemistry in a smaller, probably more appropriate spot" (N.Y. POST, 4/25).
BANKING ON A SURE THING? MLB Network's Bruce Schein said the success, or lack thereof, of the Carlin-Gray-Scott show "has as much to do with" Francesa's return as the fact WFAN execs "know they have a sure thing in Mike Francesa and what he generates." Russo said if the ratings "were good with the show that they had succeeded Mike with, this would not have occurred." Russo: "They left themselves with an opening because they didn't do that well and this is a ratings business.” Russo did say WFAN gave Carlin, Gray and Scott an "impossible situation" from the outset and the station handled the creation of the show "horrendously" ("High Heat," MLB Network, 4/24).
TELL US HOW YOU REALLY FEEL: In N.Y., Bob Raissman writes Francesa's imminent return shows WFAN's execs are "unwilling to go through short-term pain to achieve long-term gain." Francesa for the "last few years complained, bitched and moaned about his situation at WFAN." Now they will "market him as some kind of conquering hero returning to his pulpit to save the afternoon." Raissman: "There's only one word to describe it: Pathetic." Entercom execs do "not have the courage of their conviction" to give Carlin, Gray and Scott a year to "achieve the kind of chemistry needed to move the needle." The trio "didn't even get a football season" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 4/25). In Newark, Steve Politi wrote he is "not surprised" Francesa is returning, as he "couldn't get a stage big enough for that ego anywhere else, so he's elbowing his way back into his old chair." Politi: "I am a little surprised that the empty suits at WFAN would welcome him back. ... Are they really that concerned with one bad ratings book to push the panic button already?" This is a "bitter old man pushing himself back onto the stage because he couldn't stand that the show moved on without him" (Newark STAR-LEDGER, 4/25).
TWITTER REAX: Newsday's Best: "I am the guy in a cliched cop movie who is a week away from retirement when he gets dragged into one, last crazy, dangerous mission." N.Y. Daily News' Frank Isola: "The Mike Francesa news is shocking....to no one. ... Does that mean he no longer holds the world record for longest farewell tour?" N.Y. Daily News' Raissman: "How long before Francesa announces next farewell tour?" Fox News' Connell McShane joked, "The Dow is down 500 points. To me, that's an overreaction to the news Mike Francesa might be returning to WFAN." SI.com's Jimmy Traina: "I’m amazed that people are just focused on Francesa saying he’s coming back to the FAN. The real story is Mike saying he’s only coming back because he was told he better not go back. That’s some batshit crazy stuff." Barstool Sports' Kevin Clancy: "It took ONE ratings book with Michael Kay winning to get Francesa out of retirement."
