NYC Radio: YES Sez 'No' To Mike Francesa Radio/TV Simulcast

Mike Francesa

The 10-year+ simulcast relationship between WFAN 660 AM / 101.9 FM’s Mike Francesa and the YES Network will be over by the end of January, according to the NY Daily News.

YES will replace Francesa’s afternoon drive show with WEPN / ESPN 98.7 FM’s “The Michael Kay Show.”

A TV executive familiar with the situation confirmed the switch. He said the move is strictly a “matter of economics,” with the rights fee WFAN is asking for Francesa’s simulcast becoming too pricey for YES and far exceeding what YES will pay to air the simulcast of Kay’s ESPN soiree. According to the executive nothing has been finalized: “But it’s going to happen.”


ESPN had been working behind the scenes for months, trying to land a simulcast home for Kay. Now, the YES simulcast is a coup for 98.7 and Kay, who also is YES’ play-by-play voice of the Yankees. While Kay’s show has continued to trail Francesa badly in the radio ratings, the YES simulcast should provide it with more visability and more listeners. It will also give Kay the opportunity to promote other 98.7 shows.

While Francesa will be leaving YES, his simulcast days are likely not over. CBS, which owns WFAN, has put out feelers to other TV outlets to guage their interest in airing Francesa’s show. “There is some reason to believe YES may have thought WFAN had decided to take Francesa’s show elsewhere,” the TV exec said.

Likely players for Francesa’s simulcast services are the Madison Square Garden Network, which recently lost simulcast rights to WFAN’s “The Boomer & Carton Show” (YES made a bid for those rights) to CBS Sports Network.

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