ESPN N.Y.'s Kay Tops WFAN's Francesa In Autumn Ratings Book

ESPN Radio 98.7 N.Y.'s Michael Kay "completed his long, steady radio ratings rise on Monday by toppling" WFAN's Mike Francesa from his "decades-long perch atop the local sports radio race." Data for the autumn ratings book showed Kay "beating Francesa for the first time" since he moved to drive time in '05. Among men 25-54, Kay was No. 1 among all N.Y.-area stations from 3:00-6:30pm ET, "averaging 7.4 of those listening." Francesa was "No. 2" at 6.1%. Both stations’ figures "include over-the-air and streaming audiences combined" (NEWSDAY, 12/24).

In N.Y., Andrew Marchand wrote Kay and ESPN N.Y. were "able to throw Francesa’s years of trash talk back in his face." Francesa has repeatedly said that he "would never be beaten in the ratings," adding that ESPN "needed to bring 'more than pea shooters.'" However, the "back-and-forth, the trash talk between Francesa and Kay is probably over." Francesa left his drive time show on Dec. 6 (N.Y. POST, 12/24).