Sports Radio News

Craig Carton Joins Sid Rosenberg on WABC

Published

3 years ago

August 31, 2018

It’s been almost exactly one year since Craig Carton was last heard on a New York radio station, following his September 6^th, 2017 arrest. Now, just two months away from his trial in federal court facing fraud charges amid accusations of running a $5.6 million Ponzi scheme, Carton joined Sid Rosenberg on his WABC morning show, Bernie and Sid to further proclaim his innocence.

Although Carton and Sid have engaged in public radio battles over the years, the two shock-jocks appeared to be in great standing on Thursday, firing nothing but compliments toward each other.

“Where a lot of people dropped me like a bad habit, which was a very eye opening experience over the last year, you actually didn’t,” Carton told Sid. “We weren’t even close. We weren’t talking actively, but you reached out to me several times, we’ve maintained a relationship and I’m grateful for that because when you go through what I’m going through, you have a lot of very dark moments, a lot of alone moments and something as simple as a text message of ‘hey how you doing?’ And when it comes from an unexpected place it’s even better.”

Carton is scheduled to go to trial in federal court on October 29^th and while he sounds like his normal self on-air, the former WFAN morning host remains very aware of the reality of his situation.

“I recognize that it’s an uphill battle, cause they typically win” Carton said referring to the FBI. “But you hear all the time about how they have a 98% conviction rate. Well, that includes plea bargains. When you plea, you’re pleading guilty to something that counts as a conviction. I’m not pleaing to anything because I firmly believe that when the facts come out you’ll see that I was running a legitimate legal business”

Soon after Craig was arrested on September 6^th last year, he resigned from his morning show of 10 years on WFAN, Boomer and Carton. Now the show has shifted to Boomer and Gio, with Gregg Giannotti taking over as Carton’s replacement. When I asked Craig during an interview earlier this year if he liked the new WFAN morning show, Carton responded with an emphatic “No!” a sentiment he reiterated on Thursday with Sid.

“Take any show on FAN and bring them here [WABC], they’re not gonna beat anyone over there [on WFAN] anyway,” Carton said. “You can put an intern on the air, which it seems like [WFAN] kinda did. While ratings have dropped 40 percent, they’re still going to do reasonably well.”

Carton continued to comment on WFAN’s new morning show, saying “The show is not as good as it was,” to which Sid agreed by adding, “It’s not even close!”

Although Carton did not directly state it, the intern shot appeared to be pointed at his replacement, Gregg Giannotti.

Earlier this week, Giannotti took a hard-hitting shot of his own at Carton. After co-host Esiason teased Gio for not spending enough time away from the show with him the way Boomer and Carton used to, Giannotti, while beginning a ticket giveaway contest, said “I could sell these tickets if you want me to be more like Craig.” The comment garnered a fit of laughter out of Boomer and the fill-ins behind the glass.

While on WABC, Craig added that there’s been a void in New York morning radio since he left WFAN. “No one has grabbed that mantle and said ‘I’m now the dominant morning show in NYC,’ and I hope when I’m exonerated, I’ll have a chance to do that again.”

Carton doesn’t hide from the fact that he plans to get back on terrestrial radio in New York. While he’s thankful to his current platform FNTSY Sports Network for the opportunity he has today, Carton still has bigger plans for the future.

“Ego-wise I believe I will have multiple people come to me, that’s ego, and I hope they do,” he said. “But when it comes out that I’m exonerated and the jury says not guilty, why wouldn’t you want to bring back the guy that was the most listened to morning show in New York?”

Carton finished up his segment with Sid by thanking his supporters and calling out his detractors, especially those who questioned the legitimacy of his charity, Tic Toc Stop.

Carton closed with, “I will be back on the radio in New York City, hopefully a lot sooner than later, it could be a great Thanksgiving and fingers crossed, you’ll be able to hear me again one day very very soon.”

Brandon Contes is a freelance writer for BSM. He can be found on Twitter @BrandonContes. To reach him by email click here.

Brandon Contes

Brandon Contes is a former reporter for BSM, now working for Mediaite. You can find him on Twitter @BrandonContes or reach him by email at Brandon.Contes@gmail.com.

See author's posts

Up Next

The Game Gets Extensions for Falcons, Atlanta United

Don't Miss

WDAE Announces Bucs Game Day Programming

Sports Radio News

David Feherty Launches Weekly SiriusXM Show

“David’s unique blend of wit and golf wisdom, and his experience from a lifetime in the game, really make him one of a kind.”

Published

11 hours ago

November 30, 2021

Reice Shipley

Via NBC Sports Pressbox

SiriusXM announced today that David Feherty, who has been entertaining golf audiences with his witty perspective on the game for more than two decades, is joining SiriusXM to launch a new weekly show.

Feherty will team up with fellow former pro and SiriusXM host John Maginnes for Feherty and Maginnes. The show will be on Monday evenings on the SiriusXM PGA TOUR Radio channel.

They will preview the new show this Wednesday at 5pm. The show officially starts in its new time slot on January 3rd, as the PGA TOUR season picks up steam with the Hawaii tournaments.

“I can’t wait to work with John Maginnes,” said Feherty. “He is one of my favorite people and SiriusXM will be a really fun platform for us. The over/under on both of us getting canceled is about six weeks!”

The format will include long form interviews with personalities from the world of golf with storytelling to the listeners coming from the golf expertise of Feherty and Maginnes, who both had playing careers on the PGA Tour.

“David’s unique blend of wit and golf wisdom, and his experience from a lifetime in the game, really make him one of a kind,” said Scott Greenstein, SiriusXM’s President and Chief Content Officer. “SiriusXM is the perfect platform for his many great stories and the insightful and revealing conversations he’ll have with his guests. We are thrilled to pair him up with John and bring together two terrific personalities who will deliver an entertaining, must-listen show for our listeners.”

Feherty spent time following his playing career at CBS and NBC as well as his own show on the Golf Channel.

Reice Shipley

Reice Shipley is a daily news writer and social media assistant for BSM. He is a graduate of Ithaca University, contributor to the Syracuse Mets, and aspires to work behind the scenes in sports media in the future. He can be found on Twitter @Reice_Shipley18 or you may reach him by email at RShipley@ithaca.edu.

See author's posts

Sports Radio News

Industry Analyst Predicts Crypto Will Surpass Gambling In Sports World

Industry sources believe that crypto could grow into a $100 million dollar industry for sports television within the next year.

Published

15 hours ago

November 30, 2021

Reice Shipley

Industry insiders have believed for quite a while that sports betting was the future for sponsorship and advertisement revenue, but it appears that there is a new venture on the rise that is quickly surpassing it.

Crypto.com made a huge statement in purchasing the Staples Center in what will be known as Crypto.com Arena come Christmas Day.

SponsorUnited Founder and President Bob Lynch believes that there is no doubt that Crypto and Blockchain will far exceed sports betting as the premiere revenue money maker for the sports industry over the next decade.

“They’re essentially buying equity,” which would be particularly valuable in an industry that is still widely doubted, Lynch said on Crypto.com’s purchase of the arena. “The Lakers and Clippers have global exposure, media value and mentions that give instant brand legitimacy with top-of-mind awareness through national/global TV exposure,”

Crypto has already started to push its way into major advertisements for key events in the world of sports. Cryptocurrency exchange FTX purchased an ad in this upcoming Super Bowl, and already has the backing of the biggest star in professional football. Tom Brady has an equity stake in the company.

Crypto.com is already the sponsor of FOX‘s college football studio show, Big Noon Kickoff, on top of running ads during broadcasts of the game as well.

Industry sources believe that crypto could grow into a $100 million dollar industry for sports television within the next year. It seems that the possibilities are endless for crypto within the sports landscape. While sports gambling certainly isn’t going away from the public eye, it could be overtaken by crypto in terms of ad spending and sponsorship visibility very soon.

Reice Shipley

See author's posts

Sports Radio News

Colin Cowherd: Lincoln Riley At USC Is Good For Networks

“Colin Cowherd pointed out that when USC is a contender, LA watches.”

Published

22 hours ago

November 30, 2021

BSM Staff

FS1

Colin Cowherd is a self-professed college football fan. When the sport is interesting, he talks about it. The sport may never be more interesting than when the coaching carousel is spinning.

On Mondy’s edition of The Herd on FS1 and FOX Sports Radio, Cowherd dove in on USC’s hire of Lincoln Riley. He says that it is good for college football that Riley left Oklahoma for Los Angeles.

“My phone blew up yesterday, not only because people know I’m kind of a USC honk, but network people,” Cowherd said. “They’re like ‘do you understand how big this is for networks?’”.

Colin Cowherd pointed out that when USC is a contender, LA watches. He noted that when USC lost to Texas in the 2006 Rose Bowl, ABC scored a 22.5 rating in the city.

“The networks want USC to be good. You know why? Because New York, DC, and Boston have never watched college football. Chicago does and LA does. So the Big Ten being good is good for college football TV ratings. But LA doesn’t watch college football anymore. They will now.”

"Lincoln Riley to USC is big for so many reasons."

— @ColinCowherd lays out what it means for the Trojans and college football as a whole: pic.twitter.com/iOSNigHrir
— Herd w/Colin Cowherd (@TheHerd) November 29, 2021

As for the hard times USC has fallen on and been stuck in mostly since Pete Carroll bolted for the NFL, Cowherd is not particularly worried. He pointed out that Georgia, Alabama, Ohio State, and Notre Dame were all down before they hired the right coach. Programs at the blue blood level in the sport have a way of bouncing back quickly.

Network executives are hoping Cowherd’s assessment is correct. USC is the only brand on the West Coast capable of resonating on a national level.

The Los Angeles sports landscape has changed though. When USC was a celebrity program under Pete Carroll, the city did not have an NFL team. Now it has two. The Dodgers were not annual contenders in Major League Baseball. The Lakers had stars, but the Clippers didn’t. Now both do.

Does LA love college football enough for the Trojans to turn some heads in the city with the most stars in the sports world?