Craig Carton is finalizing a deal to take over the afternoon drive-time slot on WFAN beginning next year, sources briefed on negotiations told The Athletic Tuesday.
This will mark Carton’s third stint with the station and second as the leader of the afternoon program. The current drive-time show, featuring Evan Roberts and Tiki Barber, will shift to the 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. midday slot.
Carton will have a new partner, and FAN overnight host Chris McMonigle is considered the leading candidate, sources briefed on the discussions said.
The current midday program, starring Brandon Tierney and Sal Licata, will be cut from the schedule.
When reached, WFAN declined to comment.
Carton has historically produced strong ratings, and his say-anything style brings attention in an increasingly competitive landscape. Carton will continue his mid-morning podcast with Fox’s Red Seat Ventures.
Carton has a long history with Audacy New York president Chris Oliviero, who oversees WFAN, and has been instrumental in all three of Carton’s hirings by the station.
With night-time host Keith McPherson recently announcing his move away from WFAN, Licata could still have a landing spot at the station. Tierney, who has been a New York radio stalwart at ESPN New York and WFAN, may be left without a chair.
In January, WFAN’s lineup will feature Boomer Esiason and Gregg Giannotti in the morning, followed by “Evan & Tiki” and leading into Carton’s show. “Boomer & Gio” has become the signature show of the station since Mike Francesa’s retirement in 2020.
Carton, who will be 57 in January, has had a successful but rocky career. After making noise and controversy in various stops, Carton became Esiason’s morning co-host in the wake of Don Imus’ dismissal in 2007 over racist comments regarding the Rutgers women’s basketball team.
Esiason and Carton’s successful decade-long run ended abruptly when Carton was arrested and charged with fraud in 2017. He was convicted of the charges the following year, and he wound up serving about a year of his three-and-a-half-year sentence. Shortly after his release, Oliviero rehired Carton to co-host afternoons with Roberts.
Two years ago, FS1 thought Carton’s act could work on a national TV stage and gave him a multi-million dollar deal. The show, originally titled “Carton,” was a ratings disaster, though the program that has succeeded it, “Wakeup Barstool!” has had similar dismal ratings. FS1 lacks the consistent evening programming that helps provide some semblance of lead-in for the mornings.
FS1 had a purge this summer, bringing in Barstool personalities in a major shake-up, which included the firing of Carton. From the moment he was let go from FS1, a return to WFAN seemed destined to happen.
An easy move would have been to just slot Carton back with Roberts, but WFAN’s hierarchy liked the combo of Roberts and Barber together. They will remain together as Carton returns.
