WFAN may have won the battle, but ESPN Radio believes it will win the war for New York City’s airwaves.
That’s what Michael Kay hinted at Tuesday after The Post’s Andrew Marchand broke the news that ESPN Radio is giving up its FM signal in August 2024.
While some believe that’s a de facto surrender to WFAN’s market dominance, Kay had a different take, according to Funhouse.
“Our competition, right. I don’t even know if should say this,” Kay began. “What I really believe that within a calendar year, bankruptcy is on the table.”
By “competition,” Kay is referring to Audacy, which is the parent company that owns WFAN, as well as several other radio stations across the country.
The Philadelphia Inquirer reported one year ago that Audacy had lost $1 billion in net income since 2018.
The New York Stock Exchange announced plans in May 2023 to suspend trading of Audacy’s stock, which had fallen below $1 per share.
As for ESPN Radio, parent company Good Karma Brands plans to move forward with the station focusing on its digital distribution and 1050 AM, according to Marchand.
Among the content affected is “The Michael Kay Show,” as well as Jets, Knicks and Rangers games.
“We’re committed to serving the New York sports fan and with the combination of our AM signal, the ESPN New York App, podcasts, smart speakers, YES and other additional audio and video distribution, investing in an FM signal was not relevant in the way it was a decade ago,” Good Karma Brands CEO and founder Craig Karmazin told The Post.
