Craig Carton to return to WFAN and take over afternoon drive (Report)

In an unsurprising move, WFAN is bringing Craig Carton back to the airwaves, but he won’t be in his old time slot.

No one should be surprised to see WFAN scooping up Craig Carton. This was rumored to be in the works for months and now it’s coming to fruition.

The bombastic radio host’s fall from grace resulted in prison time after he was arrested and convicted on fraud charges, but he’s going to be taking over afternoon drive on WFAN according to Andrew Marchand of the New York Post.

Returning to the morning show with his former co-host Boomer Esiason was never in the cards. Gregg Giannotti took over for Carton following the fallout of his arrest and the new show continues to sit atop the ratings.

Marchand also notes that Joe Benigno will be retiring from daily shows and Evan Roberts is a candidate to be Carton’s partner, but nothing is set in stone. It sounds like WFAN might have to start playing musical chairs with its hosts. Marchand breaks down the different combinations that are on the table in his article for the Post.

The Next Step For Craig Carton

Carton’s talent on the radio is undeniable. Prior to his downfall, he was one of the most successful radio hosts in the country, and not just sports radio. That kind of thing doesn’t just evaporate into thin air, but things will never be exactly the same.

I’ve long written that Carton’s return to WFAN will be awkward given the fact that sports betting is now legal in New Jersey and it’s become a huge part of WFAN’s advertising strategy. It wasn’t sports betting specifically that led to Carton’s downfall, but a gambling addiction (specifically blackjack) was the driving force in his demise.

Marchand touches on this topic in his piece noting that, “Carton and FAN know they will have to manage Carton’s admitted gambling addiction against the constant advertisements for betting sites.”