NYC Radio: Craig Carton Returning to WFAN for Third Time

Craig Carton is finalizing a deal to reclaim WFAN's high-stakes afternoon drive slot in New York City starting in January 2026, marking his third chapter at the iconic sports radio station after a whirlwind career detour through national TV and podcasting. 

The move, first reported by The Athletic's Andrew Marchand, caps months of buzz following the abrupt cancellation of Carton's FS1 morning show, Breakfast Ball, in a summer network purge. 

This revamp positions Carton as the centerpiece of WFAN's lineup shuffle, displacing the midday duo of Brandon Tierney and Sal Licata while shifting popular afternoon hosts Evan Roberts and Tiki Barber to middays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Carton's return isn't a simple homecoming—it's a calculated bet on his proven draw. During his second WFAN run from 2020 to 2023, he paired with Roberts to dominate afternoons, becoming only the second host (after Howard Stern) to top both morning and afternoon ratings in the market's history. That success followed a dramatic 2017 exit amid a federal fraud conviction tied to a Ponzi scheme that funded his gambling addiction, for which he served about a year in prison before emerging with a redemption arc.

Post-release, Carton rebuilt his brand through his weekly WFAN segment Hello, My Name Is Craig—a raw, Emmy-winning podcast on addiction recovery that he'll retain alongside the new gig—and a thriving daily podcast via Fox Sports and Red Seat Ventures.

The logistics hinge on a fresh pairing: Overnight host Chris McMonigle emerges as the frontrunner to co-host with Carton, ensuring WFAN preserves the Roberts-Barber chemistry that has fueled recent afternoon gains. 

Even former partner Boomer Esiason, who co-hosted mornings with Carton for a decade, voiced no surprise at the reunion, per a late-September New York Post report.

Deeper into the shakeup, WFAN's parent company Audacy faces a crowded field: The station's overnights already lost Keith McPherson last month, amplifying the need for star power amid New York's cutthroat sports talk wars. 

Carton's exit from WFAN in June 2023 was framed as a family-first pivot—prioritizing sobriety (five years wager-free by then) over dual coasts—but his FS1 flameout opened the door wide. Critics question the ethics of rehiring a figure with Carton's baggage, yet his unfiltered style and ratings magic remain WFAN's secret weapon, potentially injecting fresh energy into a format craving disruption.

As negotiations wrap, the airwaves hum with anticipation: Will Carton's brash return restore WFAN's throne, or test the limits of second (and third) chances in sports media? Listeners tune in January to find out.