NYC Radio: Massive Shake-Up At WFAN

Audacy has announced the addition of “Tiki & Tierney” to the weekday programming lineup on WFAN 101.9 FM / 660 AM in New York. The duo, which had previously aired on CBS Sports Radio, will be heard on the station weekdays from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. ET, effective January 3.

“Tiki and Tierney have a perspective and sound that is tailor made for New York City and their addition will further solidify WFAN’s iconic position as the area’s most influential sports platform,” said Chris Oliviero, Senior Vice President and Market Manager, Audacy New York. “Both are already very familiar to the FAN audience, so their voices joining “Boomer & Gio” and “Carton & Roberts” creates a powerful must listen to our weekday lineup for both listeners and advertisers.

Tiki Barber played 10 seasons in the NFL with the New York Giants, retiring in 2007 as the Giants all-time leading rusher, and all-purpose yardage leader. In 2010, he was inducted into the New York Giants inaugural Ring of Honor class and in January 2011, he was enshrined into the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame. He began his broadcasting career working for WFAN in 1998, which led to stints at WCBS-TV, Sirius Satellite Radio, YES Network and eventually as a morning host on FOX News Channel’s “Fox & Friends.” Upon retiring from the NFL, Barber served as a correspondent for NBC News and Sports, principally, “The TODAY Show” and “Football Night in America,” but also covering the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing for MSNBC.

As one of the bright, electric voices in sports talk radio, Brooklyn native Brandon Tierney has made a name for himself as a respected, entertaining, insightful and well-informed personality. In addition to this role, he also serves as a radio analyst for St. John’s basketball games and hosts the “Red Storm Report” with former head coach Steve Lavin on MSG Network. In 2013, Tierney returned home to New York as host of CBS Sports Radio’s morning program. Prior to CBS Sports Radio, Tierney hosted afternoons on San Francisco sister station 95.7 The Game (KGMZ-FM).

📻New WFAN 101.9 FM / 660 AM weekday lineup is as follows.

• 5:00 a.m. – 6:00 a.m. ET:   “The Warm-Up Show” with Al Dukes and Jerry Recco
• 6:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. ET:  “Boomer & Gio”
• 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. ET:   “Tiki & Tierney”
• 2:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. ET:     “Carton & Roberts”
• 7:00 p.m. – 12:00 a.m. ET:     Keith McPherson
• 12:00 a.m. – 5:00 a.m. ET:     Sal Licata 

The NY Post reports for the 46-year-old Barber it is another step in a comeback that saw him go from media darling when he stepped off the field in 2006 and onto the “Today” show to something of a pariah. 

His media career was upended by uneven on-air performance and a very public affair. He will now, though, be a central part of New York sports talk to go along with his work as a CBS NFL game analyst.

Tierney, who grew up in Brooklyn, had a regular gig with FAN’s cross-town rival WEPN 98.7 FM ESPN New York and spent time as a host in San Francisco. 

The last eight years, Tierney and Barber have hosted together on CBS Sports Radio Network. This will be advantageous, as they will arrive in the FAN studios for their 10-2 time slot with an already developed rhythm.

The duo will end their national afternoon show, which is simulcast on CBS Sports Network, this month.

Gray is expected to have another role with FAN or its parent company, Audacy, while Malusis could go back to part-time hosting. Malusis also works for SNY.

Gray and Malusis were on the clock this year, and their ratings have only been OK, failing to provide a strong liftoff for FAN’s afternoon program “Carton & Roberts.” Gray and Malusis were informed of FAN’s decision following their show Thursday afternoon. Their contracts were up at the end of the year.

Gray was originally hired by FAN in 2017 to join Chris Carlin and Bart Scott during Mike Francesa’s initial retirement. After one ratings book, Francesa un-retired and replaced “CMB,” which had good ratings when it moved to middays. Scott and Carlin have since moved on to ESPN Radio. 

FAN likes the idea of adding Barber to its team because not only does he have credibility as a former All-Pro athlete, his big name helps with advertiser meet-and-greets.

Since Chris Oliviero, who oversees WFAN for its parent company, Audacy, and FAN VP Spike Eskin took over, the station has had a complete makeover. Oliviero returned to the station in May of last year, which foretold Carton’s comeback after he was released from prison.

Over the past year and a half, FAN has seen Francesa, longtime program director Mark Chernoff, Steve Somers, Joe Benigno and John Minko leave the station. 

Neil Best at Newsday notes Barber is the Giants’ career rushing leader, with 10,449 yards from 1997-2006. He and Tierney have worked together since 2013, originally as a morning team.

Gray posted a tweet Thursday thanking everyone she had gotten to know at WFAN over the last four years — "from our callers, producers, board ops, engineers, co-hosts sales team and more" — and saying that "the next chapter was about to begin, and I can't wait to share it with you soon."