Peter Rosenberg playfully attempted to clear the air after comments he made about WWE play-by-play voice Joe Tessitore sparked speculation about friction with fellow ESPN New York personality Michael Kay.
During a recent episode of the Ebro, Laura, Rosenberg Show posted to YouTube, Rosenberg addressed the reaction to remarks he previously made praising Tessitore’s role as a show facilitator. Some observers interpreted those comments as a slight toward Kay, who hosts the afternoon drive program on ESPN New York 98.7 FM.
Rosenberg said that interpretation missed the context of what he meant when discussing Tessitore, who currently serves as a lead voice for WWE broadcasts of Smackdown.
“I said in an interview that Joe Tessitore is the best point guard I’ve ever worked with,” Rosenberg explained. “As in leading a show. So, I meant TV. I was referring to that specific thing. It’s not the same how I worked with Michael [Kay]. It’s just not the same thing.”
Rosenberg’s clarification focused on the structure of television broadcasts compared with sports talk radio. In television settings, he noted, the lead host often functions similarly to a floor general, directing conversation and keeping segments organized in a tightly formatted environment.
By contrast, Rosenberg’s dynamic with Kay developed over years working together at ESPN New York in afternoon drive. He suggested that makes comparisons between the situations difficult. Rosenberg has appeared on Kay’s programs and worked alongside him in the past. However, the partnership does not mirror the structured television collaboration he referenced when praising Tessitore’s on-air leadership.
However, Rosenberg suggested that the discussion surrounding his comments reflects a broader media narrative that has exaggerated tension between the two personalities.
According to Rosenberg, coverage of the story has leaned heavily on the idea that he and Kay are engaged in an ongoing feud, even though he insists the relationship between them has never reached that level of conflict.
“We work so hard at ESPN New York,” Rosenberg said. “We try to put a good show on every day. If WFAN farts, it gets an article in the New York Post and different places in legacy media.”
Rosenberg continued by arguing that the station’s efforts often receive less attention than perceived drama involving its hosts.
“We’re new. When we do stuff, the only thing that gets written about is me and Michael Kay having a fugazi beef,” Rosenberg said. “We weren’t even pretending for it to be real. It just is what it is.”
This isn’t the first time Rosenberg has mocked coverage of a potential beef between Kay and himself. In January, following several articles framing the two at odds with one another Rosenberg cut loose on those outlets providing that coverage.
“With all due respect, they got a lot of inches to fill. Okay, you guys were bored today,” Rosenberg said. “If our crack staff here at ESPN New York and our radio station were worth the paper they were made on, they’d be taking this article running right to the New York Post,” he joked. “There’s nothing better than show beef than in because it’s all within the station. You’re not sending anyone anywhere else. You’re keeping it all right here.”
Kay has not framed the situation as a serious dispute either, though the exchange between the two hosts has generated conversation among listeners in the competitive New York sports radio market. Both personalities remain key figures within ESPN New York’s programming lineup as the station continues to build its identity while competing with longtime market leader WFAN.
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