Report: CBS Closely Examining Future of 660 AM In NYC

It stands to reason, writes Phil Musnick in the NYPost,  CBS is eager to give its new national sports network the bigger boost in the biggest market by placing much or all of its programming on mega-signaled 660 AM.

After all, CBS spent a lot of dough to (slowly) launch this network last September, and on talent, including ex-ESPNers Doug Gottlieb and Jim Rome.

WFAN is as eager to sustain ratings-approved weekday drive time shows hosted by Craig Carton and Boomer Esiason (mornings) and Mike Francesa (afternoons into evenings) and live local sports (Mets, Nets, Devils) on AM for the same, muscle-signaled reason.

Everyone and everything regularly heard on WFAN would want to stick with 660, rather than be switched to the unaccustomed and reach-diminished 101.9 FM.

In other words, there are lots of tough decisions for CBS Radio to make, some guaranteed to leave some folks less than pleased, and those decisions must be made pretty soon.

It may be that CBS will attempt a difficult mix-and-match programming format with national and local shows between AM and FM— awaiting a numbers shakeout.

“We have a number of great options and are closely examining each one,” a CBS Radio spokesperson said Friday.

But 660 AM’s mighty signal means it will be the alpha dog of CBS’ two local sports stations.

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Tom's Take: Musnick's counterpart at the NYDaily bob Raismann predicted 660Am would flip to CBS Sports Radio within a week of the Super Bowl.  Well, that didn't happen.  Time will tell.