WFAN morning hosts Boomer Esiason and Gregg Giannotti addressed the radio industry’s shifting landscape and the station’s recent lineup changes during Wednesday’s episode of Boomer & Gio, including reports that former co-host Craig Carton will return to the station in January.
“This is the livelihood of people that have worked here for a long time. A number of people have already come up to me and told me about their fate at the end of December. And it’s not easy. It really isn’t,” Esiason said. “I always tell them the same thing: I’ve been fired, I’ve been cut, I’ve been benched, and I just keep going. You just have to keep your head down, and keep going. Look for the next opportunity. You can never be comfortable in a business like this.”
Giannotti echoed Esiason’s perspective, noting that while WFAN remains strong, the radio business itself has changed dramatically.
“Over the last couple of months, there are so many people that I have worked with for a really long time that are not going to be here. This feels different than every other time,” Giannotti said. He added that while WFAN’s performance remains solid, “it’s just that it’s changed. The way that people are used to on the digital side of things… It’s time to sort of reimagine what’s happening in certain areas.”
Both hosts also emphasized their efforts to support colleagues impacted by recent changes.
“We’re not the victims in this by any stretch of the imagination. They are,” Esiason said. “That’s why you try to give words of inspiration. To give them a fighting chance to find somewhere else in this business, because there are other avenues to go.”
The conversation turned to Carton’s impending return, which was first reported Tuesday during Brandon Tierney and Sal Licata’s B&T Middays program.
“This was in the works for years,” Esiason said. “When he left, there was just too much money for him to turn down. Now he’s going to come back and do what he does best: extemporaneous thought on a radio show for four hours.”
Giannotti acknowledged the emotional and professional toll of ongoing lineup changes.
“I’m excited for the lineup, but also very sad that something else had to change,” he said. “There’s been a lot of different midday and afternoon combinations while we’ve been sitting here. None of them are easy on the people involved.”
He also reflected on how the Carton news broke on WFAN’s airwaves. “It was really tough for those guys in the midday yesterday to have that story come out while they’re on the air. It’s just the worst-case scenario. I really felt for them because their futures are being discussed on major platforms while they’re sitting there doing their show.”
With Carton set to return and other lineup adjustments in place, Esiason and Giannotti said they remain focused on keeping WFAN competitive while supporting colleagues navigating a rapidly changing industry.
WFAN has not officially released any details of changes coming to WFAN for the beginning of the new year.
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