Rival takes a shot at Michael Kay

In the near future, ESPN will cease to utilize its FM signal, relinquishing control of 98.7. This is certainly not a piece of good news for Michael Kay, the best-known Yankees voice. He has to move his program and is likely to end up losing a chunk of his audience.

Upon hearing this announcement on Tuesday, Craig Carton of FS1 seized the moment to criticize “The Michael Kay Show” through a post on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.

Craig competes to overrun Michael Kay

During his appearance on Carton & Roberts with WFAN, Craig Carton engaged in direct competition with Michael Kay‘s weekday show, which airs from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. WFAN will maintain its broadcasting on 660 AM and 101.9 FM.

The discontinuation of the 98.7 signal is scheduled for August 31, 2024, with all programs still accessible via 1050 AM, the ESPN New York app, and other streaming platforms that carry the feed. “The Michael Kay Show” will also persist in its simulcast on the YES Network.

Craig Karmazin, the CEO and founder of Good Karma Brands, explained that their commitment was aimed at serving the New York sports fan. He mentioned that, given the combination of their AM signal, the ESPN New York App, podcasts, smart speakers, YES, and various other audio and video distribution channels, the significance of investing in an FM signal had diminished compared to a decade ago. Karmazin shared this with Andrew Marchand of the New York Post.

Michael Kay responded to the announcement

The Yankees voice began his show on Wednesday by stating that it was not a sad or gloomy day. He emphasized that everything was going to be fine. Michael Kay also noted that the situation was moving in a positive direction and his show has been performing well in the digital realm.

Michael Kay mentioned that they had been informed that their show from last week ranked among the top five in streaming across all ESPN properties. This included shows like “First Take” and “Pat McAfee,” which were all in the podcast category. The host noted that their show had achieved a Top 5 position among podcasts.

Nevertheless, Michael Kay, along with his co-hosts Don La Greca and Peter Rosenberg, maintain that this decision is not a sign of giving up. The Yankees play-by-play announcer even suggested that his competitors should consider emulating ESPN New York’s move by relinquishing their costly FM signals.

Michael Kay expressed hesitance but shared his belief that their competition was facing a significant challenge. He mentioned that he genuinely believed that bankruptcy might be a possibility for them within a calendar year. He raised the question of whether this would be a failure on their part or simply a reflection of how the industry had evolved.

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