Future of ‘The Michael Kay Show’ in limbo: Sources

After nearly two decades as a staple of New York Sports radio in the afternoon drive, the future of “The Michael Kay Show” is in limbo as host Michael Kay and ESPN negotiate, sources briefed on the discussions said Wednesday.

With Kay’s contract ending in the middle of December, ESPN has indicated a desire to keep him on the air, but has yet to make a concrete offer for him to remain in drive time, the sources said.

ESPN and Kay declined to comment.

Two years ago, Kay threatened to leave afternoons before then head of programming, Norby Williamson, gave Kay a multi-million dollar deal to keep him. This time, one of ESPN’s top executives, David Roberts, is at the helm.

Kay could remain on ESPN’s air with a lighter schedule. He could move to 1-3 p.m. with a work-from-home arrangement to continue opining on New York sports. If this happens, he is expected to be a solo act. There is a remote chance of a complete reversal and the afternoon trio of Kay, Don La Greca and Peter Rosenberg stays together.

It is unclear if Kay’s show would continue to be simulcast on YES. However it plays out, Kay will remain the voice of the New York Yankees on the network.

The Kay decision will have an impact throughout the station. Kay, La Greca and Rosenberg were the trio that upended WFAN’s Mike Francesa’s long run of rating superiority.

If Kay were to move to mid-days, then the leading candidates for the afternoon spot are La Greca and Alan Hahn, according to sources briefed on the plans. Rosenberg also has an expiring contract but could be left without a chair in the La Greca-Hahn scenario. Rosenberg has other jobs, as he is a morning host on Hot 97 and is on WWE telecasts.

Hahn currently works with former Jet Bart Scott on ESPN New York mid-days. Scott would potentially continue with Dan Graca on a 10-1 slot, the sources said. That would mean Mike Greenberg’s show would not be on 880 AM in New York anymore.

It has been a period of transition for a few years for ESPN New York. ESPN has an agreement with Craig Karmazin’s Good Karma that it provides the content for the station, while Karmazin’s company does all the backend marketing and sales, as well as provides the radio signal.

Earlier this year, ESPN New York relinquished its home on 98.7 FM and struck a deal with Audacy, the parent company of WFAN, to land on 880 AM. It has also stopped paying and subscribing for Nielsen Audio ratings. It created a separate ESPN New York app, where most of its focus is aimed.

There have been internal discussions about moving the up-and-coming Rick DiPietro and Dave Rothenberg show to afternoons from mornings, but the duo is slated to remain in their current time slot.

If Kay were to leave afternoons, it would be the end of a golden era of New York sports radio that was heightened by the ratings war between Kay and Francesa, which at times was like 10th and 11th professional teams in the market. Listeners and fans would eagerly await every quarterly report to see which side won the contest.

Francesa left afternoons years ago. Now, it may be the 63-year-old Kay’s time to move on.

Required reading

(Photo: Andrew Mordzynski / Icon Sportswire)