NYC Radio: WFAN's Francesa #1 With Men 25-54

Mike Francesa

The worst sports autumn in recent New York memory did not hurt the market's talk radio leader, WFAN 660 AM / 101.9 FM, which in the fall ratings released Monday finished first in afternoon drive time and second in the morning.

According to Newsday, the station ranked first from 3-7 p.m. in the period covering Sept. 12-Dec. 4, averaging 7.2 percent of the listening audience in the key demographic of men ages 25-54. It was the fifth time in the past six quarters (not counting summers) that Mike Francesa has finished first.

Francesa said Monday he was particularly happy with the numbers in light of the Yankees' absence in October and the Giants' early-season flameout.

Since parting ways with his longtime partner, Chris Russo, in August 2008, Francesa largely has maintained the time slot's ratings dominance.

ESPN New York's Michael Kay finished seventh in the fall with a 4.3 share, his best rating to date and the highest ranking for a show in the station's history.

The Spanish-language station WSKQ was second to WFAN in the afternoon with a 7.0. The stations were neck and neck into late November, which is what prompted Francesa to work on Black Friday for the first time -- and the station to add a promotional giveaway of $1,000 per hour. The ploy vastly expanded the audience for that day, perhaps making the difference in a tight race.

In morning drive time, Boomer Esiason and Craig Carton finished tied for second from 6-10 a.m. with WSKQ at a 6.6, behind No. 1 Z100 with an 8.3. It was the WFAN morning show's highest rank in three years.

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