It wasn’t a resounding endorsement, but WFAN’s new boss (and old boss) Chris Oliviero didn’t shut the door on bringing Craig Carton back whenever he’s released from prison.
“Who knows? There are so many variables,” Oliviero told Neil Best of Newsday regarding a potential reunion with the station’s former morning star. “That said, if a time in the future came where Craig had gotten his life back on track, fulfilled all that was asked of him and was in a position to resume his career, of course we’d talk and discuss.”
After two years away from the company, Oliviero began his current role as Entercom New York’s market manager at the start of this month. The questions about rehiring Carton are timely, as Wednesday June 17 will mark exactly one year since his prison sentence began.
Oliviero is Carton’s former producer at WNEW and former boss at WFAN. He was alongside WFAN program director Mark Chernoff when Carton did a test run with Boomer Esiason before they took over morning drive in 2007. He was also at the hearing with Chernoff and other former colleagues of Carton when the Shock Jock received his prison sentence in April 2019.
It shouldn’t come as a surprise that WFAN would have interest in rehiring Carton. Prior to his April 2019 hearing, Chernoff wrote to the judge in charge of the sentencing that he would “welcome the opportunity to discuss” a potential return for Carton.
Facing up to 45 years in prison, Carton was sentenced to 42 months, 12 of which are already complete. Before entering prison, Carton spoke about wanting to be productive and hoped for an early release. At a maximum, he has two and a half years remaining on his sentence.
In the last year, WFAN’s lineup has endured a significant overhaul led by Mike Francesa stepping down from his longtime afternoon post six months ago. The industry has similarly experienced significant changes as it navigates the impacts of a global pandemic. It’s impossible to tell where WFAN will be when Carton is released, but having his former producer and boss as one of the decision makers certainly won’t hurt their chances of a reunion.