Watchdog

Now that WFAN’s Mike Francesa is under contract through 2017 – just like A-Rod, but for less money and more production – those of us who spend far too much time thinking about local sports radio can turn our attention to two other matters.

First, whither Chris Russo, whose contract at Sirius XM Satellite Radio expires in September? I don’t know. I do know what is best for media writers: Having...

The YES Network announced a multi-year contract extension with Michael Kay, its Yankees play-by-play voice since the network launched in 2002.

Kay also will continue hosting the "CenterStage" interview show. Kay re-signed last fall with ESPN Radio, for which he hosts the afternoon drive time show in 98.7-FM....

John Andariese, who first served as a radio analyst for the Knicks in 1972, announced Friday he would leave their radio team.

He will be succeeded by Brendan Brown, who worked a limited number of games last season. His father, Hubie, is a former Knicks coach.

Andariese served as MSG’s Knicks television analyst from 1986-87 to 1997-98. He cited a desire to spend more time with his family,...

ESPN 98.7 announced this week it has added Bill Parcells to its weekly roster of NFL guests. Tuna will be on the menu every Thursday at 4 p.m. on Michael Kay's show.

Also, Joe Namath's often newsmaking apperances with Kay will be expanded to one hour every Monday, starting at 6 p.m.

Rex Ryan will continue as a Kay regular at 5:15 p.m. on Mondays, but two other mainstays of the station...

CBS announced Thursday it is launching a new national sports radio network, a week after NBC did the same.

What will be the impact on CBS-owned WFAN? Close to zero, with the exception of brief hourly national updates and perhaps more on-air visits from CBS-affiliated guests. After 25 years, the FAN has no intention of giving up on the local strategy that made it what it is.

The more...

Jared Max’s 4 a.m. to 6 a.m. show on ESPN Radio averaged 10.7 percent of men ages 18-34 listening at that hour in May – the highest such figure for any show on either New York sports talk station. In the core demographic of men ages 25-54 he averaged 5.1 percent compared to WFAN’s 5.6, the narrowest gap between the stations in any day part.

Granted, the competition is modest in the wee hours....

ESPN Radio made some inroads with listeners in May, its first month at 98.7 FM after a ratings-challenged decade at 1050 AM.

General manager David Roberts was particularly encouraged by the cumulative audience, which measured more than 1.3 million people at least sampling the channel, up almost double from May 2011. (The deep playoff run by the Rangers, usually a ratings afterthought, helped...