Mike Francesa tweets he's open to having a partner
Mike Francesa, shown here at a St. John's Big East Tournament game March, 2018, at the Garden, unretired in May. Credit: Kathleen Malone-Van Dyke
Mike Francesa has informed Entercom, WFAN’s parent company, that he would be open to adding someone to his afternoon drive time program, the longtime host said in a Twitter post early Saturday evening.
“I have told the company if I stay I would consider adding another person to the program,” Francesa wrote. “My idea. Nothing can be done in that area without my approval, and NOTHING has been done.
“The ‘Mike’sOn’ app and its business relationships are important and must be considered.”
He added in a second tweet, “This needs to be decided quickly for Entercom, which has been accommodating, WFAN and the broadcasters it might impact. Would like to have it all done before the first Mets losing streak.”
Francesa said in October that his return to the station last May after a 4 ½ month absence had been “more uncomfortable” than he expected, and that he might give up the radio show to focus solely on his app.
In the months since then, he has continued to deliberate and discuss the matter with Entercom executives, with no resolution.
Adding someone to the show would add a new element while perhaps grooming an eventual successor. Overnight host John Jastremski has become a frequent fill-in during day shifts at the station and has shown chemistry with Francesa in guest spots. He also appears on Francesa’s app.
Kimberly Jones, who turned down an afternoon drive time spot when Francesa first was slated to leave in 2017, also is a popular fill-in at the station who has made frequent appearances with Francesa.
Francesa created a frenzy of speculation on Twitter late Saturday Saturday when he promised to make a statement in response to “the outrageous misinformation and outright lies that continue to be reported” about his future at the station, then waited several hours to issue one.
Finally, he wrote, “My deal with WFAN is simple. My deal with Entercom is complicated and involves WFAN, Radio.com, the ‘Mike’sOn’ app, CAA, Draftkings and a few other concerns. I have a long-term offer from WFAN. I haven’t signed it.”
The holdup is determining how the app interacts with other elements of Entercom’s business and Francesa’s platforms.
Neil Best first worked at Newsday in 1982, returned in 1985 after a detour to Alaska and has been here since, specializing in high schools, college basketball, the NFL and most recently sports media and business.
