NYC Radio: Kay Wins Carton's First 3-Days Back

In Craig Carton’s return to WFAN 101.9 FM / 660 AM, WEPN's 97.9 FM ESPN New York’s Kay Show beat “Carton & Roberts” in his opening three days among men 25-54, reports The NY Post citing Nielsen Audio. Depending how you view streaming, Kay either won the first three days or took two of three. 

On Monday, Nov. 9, from 3-7 p.m. when the programs go head-to-head, Kay won 8.6-6.9 with FAN’s streaming included. Two days later, Kay won 9.2-4.3, again with streaming. On Tuesday, Nov. 10, Kay won, 6.1-5.6, in the traditional way Nielsen present its numbers, but when you add in FAN’s streaming — which is already baked into ESPN New York’s share — then “C&R” comes back for a 8.1-6.1 advantage.

Any way you look at it, this is just for the first three days so, in the burgeoning afternoon radio rating war, it is a blip, an opening blip, but a blip,  according to Andrew Marchand at The NY Post.

The real sample size is three months, not three days.

In four weeks, appropriately enough, near Christmas, the first month will be available. This will still be an incomplete portrait though, more telling.

As for the content, Carton’s style doesn’t seem to have changed much after his three years away from FAN that included a year in a minimum security prison due to a fraud conviction.  Carton loves to talk about Carton. It is why it is a divisive listen, because it is more about him than sports, writes Marchand.

Kay, with his sidekicks Don La Greca and Peter Rosenberg, is not an all-sports show either. They are on a winning streak after taking down Francesa. The trio got the initial “W”against Carton, but it should be lowercase.