Barrett Media produces over 20 stories per day on the music, news, and sports media industries. Stay updated on the latest happenings by signing up to receive our newsletters straight to your inbox.
Like anyone who grew up in the New York Metropolitan Area who aspired to work at WFAN, the world’s first all-sports radio station, Chris McMonigle set out to follow his dream. Growing up on Long Island, he remembers the Yankees’ run to the 1996 World Series championship and that’s when he was introduced to the idea that the discussion didn’t have to stop when the television or radio broadcast was over.
“I remember listening to it in my car,” said McMonigle. “I liked Mike and the Mad Dog, and I loved sports radio. I’ve been a huge fan of WFAN my whole life.”
Today, WFAN is a huge part of McMonigle’s life as he has been the station’s full-time overnight host since July of last year. McMonigle has been working at WFAN for the last 18 years in just about every possible role from producer to board op to fill-in overnight host to now being a full-time host.
McMonigle has enjoyed quite a run at the station.
“It’s been rewarding,” said McMonigle. “I’ve been plugging away for a long time. I had every different shift chasing the dream of having my own show. I remember being super-pumped when (former Program Director) Mark Chernoff told me that I was just going to get Saturday nights. Being on the schedule every week was extremely cool.”
For anyone who works at WFAN, including myself, there is a special feeling when you arrive at 345 Hudson Street in New York City, and you see the collage of legendary New York sports photos as you walk through the glass doors with ‘WFAN’ on them. In the case of McMonigle, the idea of working at WFAN began when he was finishing up at Nassau Community College on Long Island and was then debating whether or not to go away to college.
As it turns out, he made a decision based on family and that would lead to him becoming part of a radio family. “My dad was sick at home and there were reasons to stay, and I said maybe instead of going to college I’ll try Connecticut School of Broadcasting,” said McMonigle.
It was through Connecticut School of Broadcasting that McMonigle landed an internship at WFAN and the rest, as they say, is history.
“I love this station,” said McMonigle. “I’m blessed to be here 18 years. In many ways, it’s a dream come true. It feels like home to me now.”
McMonigle cut his teeth at WFAN as a producer and board op before getting that opportunity to fill-in as a weekend and overnight host before ultimately getting that regular weekend gig. When McMonigle was working behind the scenes, he had a chance to work with a literal ‘who’s who’ of legendary WFAN hosts and that experience molded him into the host that he is today.
When it came to hosting overnights, he was able to learn from someone who is clearly on that daypart’s Mount Rushmore.
“I was with (Steve) Somers for five or six years learning that it’s entertainment and to prepare for the opens,” said McMonigle. “Understanding that it’s a performance and he took it that he was performing.”
McMonigle would eventually graduate from producing the overnights and moved to afternoon drive and the opportunity to work with Mike Francesa, arguably the single-greatest sports radio host of all time.
“I learned everything from Mike,” said McMonigle. “How to script the show, how to have an understanding of what the audience wants to hear, being topical and not doing anything for any other reason but what furthers the show.”
McMonigle learned so much from Francesa over the years to the point where there are those who think that he, at times, sounds like the legendary host. From the way that he delivers his takes to the way that he interacts with callers, McMonigle has been referred to as a ‘Mini-Mike.’
He takes that as an ultimate compliment.
“I do get that a lot,” said McMonigle. “He obviously rubbed off on me in many ways. I heard every word he said for eight years so I’m sure some of the things on how to do a show and some of the mannerisms and reactions to the callers [will come out].”
But while he is often compared to Francesa, McMonigle is his own person and has some different elements to the way he hosts a show compared to Francesa.
“I think I’m a little goofier than Mike can be,” said McMonigle. “I sing my open, so I do things completely different than Mike in many ways.”
Over his 18 years at WFAN, McMonigle has seen a lot of things change, not just at the station but in sports radio in general. There were times when the newsroom was buzzing, collecting audio and wraps from the station’s reporters who were covering the teams. That has changed to the point where fans can get that audio so easily on the internet including social media.
What has also changed is how sports radio hosts deliver the content and what they’re feeling in their hearts.
“I think you’re really seeing personalities develop,” said McMonigle. “I think there’s been a deeper connection with hosts and the fan base that they root for. And I think that has taken a big leap here where we’re associated with the teams that we root for much more than previous generations of sports hosts were.”
These are fun times for McMonigle hosting the overnights.
The Yankees and Mets, whose radio broadcasts are heard on Audacy-owned WFAN and Audacy Mets Radio respectively, are both in Major League Baseball’s final four. The Jets and Giants are still relevant early in the NFL season and the Knicks and Rangers are considered contenders for the NBA Championship and the Stanley Cup.
That’s a far cry from what was happening when McMonigle was hired as the full-time overnight host last July.
“I thought I was cursed,” said McMonigle. “When I first got the job last July, the Mets were selling the team away, the Yankees were in the middle of the worst regular season they’ve had in 30 years, the football season starts, and the Giants get beat 40-0 at home against the Cowboys and the Aaron Rodgers experiment lasted 4 plays. And then it started to pick up. Right now, it’s very exciting.”
For Chris McMonigle, his 18-year run at WFAN has been a dream come true. From listening to Mike and the Mad Dog throughout the Yankees’ World Series dynasty to getting started at WFAN as an intern, to becoming a producer and board operator to now being a full-time host, McMonigle has done it all at the legendary all-sports radio station.
So, are there still boxes on the “to-do” list still be checked off?
“I probably do but I don’t know if I’m focused on that just yet,” said McMonigle. “I’m just getting my feet wet in this thing. Whatever box I’m looking to check is on the backburner and the biggest box to check right now is to become an excellent overnight host and become the best host I can be, and the rest will take care of itself.”
And it all started with a dream.
Peter Schwartz writes weekly sports radio features for Barrett Media. He has been involved in New York sports media for over three decades, and has worked for notable brands such as WFAN, CBS Sports Radio, WCBS 880, ESPN New York, and FOX News Radio. Peter has also served as play by play announcer for the New Yok Riptide, New York Dragons, New York Hitmen, Varsity Media and the Long Island Sports Network. You can find him on Twitter @SchwartzSports or email him at DragonsRadio@aol.com.
